Abstract
AbstractSynthetic aperture radar (SAR) provides large coverage and high resolution, and it has been proven to be sensitive to both surface and near-surface features related to accumulation, ablation, and metamorphism of snow and firn. Exploiting this sensitivity, SAR polarimetry and polarimetric interferometry found application to land ice for instance for the estimation of wave extinction (which relates to sub surface ice volume structure) and for the estimation of snow water equivalent (which relates to snow density and depth). After presenting these applications, the Chapter proceeds by reviewing applications of SAR polarimetry to sea ice for the classification of different ice types, the estimation of thickness, and the characterisation of its surface. Finally, an application to the characterisation of permafrost regions is considered. For each application, the used (model-based) decomposition and polarimetric parameters are critically described, and real data results from relevant airborne campaigns and space borne acquisitions are reported.
Highlights
Over the last 30 years, the use of air- and space borne remote sensing has revolutionised glaciology through dramatic improvements in the scale and in the temporal and spatial resolutions of cryospheric observations
The data set comprised in situ data such as EM-bird thickness measurements, and optical photos along the helicopter tracks covered by the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image
The analysis shows that the feature set consisting of six statistical and polarimetric parameters has discrimination power and enables segmentation of this sea ice scene into five proper segments
Summary
Over the last 30 years, the use of air- and space borne remote sensing has revolutionised glaciology through dramatic improvements in the scale and in the temporal and spatial resolutions of cryospheric observations. Spatially distributed information on snow accumulation rate, glaciers mass balance, lake ice, and sea ice are strongly required They became essential for the development of large-scale hydrological and climate models, in order to better understand the on-going changes and to predict future climate dynamics. This research benefited from direct collaboration with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Scottish Association of Marine Science (SAMS), and other international participants in obtaining in situ sea ice measurements during the IceBell field campaign in November 2010 The results of these efforts were used to derive sea ice and snow cover thickness relationships in the Antarctic which could improve satellite remote sensing products, allowing improved long term monitoring of the ice mass balance in the Antarctic sea ice zone. Several studies have examined surface soil moisture in firedisturbed forests in Alaska using C-band SAR data; variations in soil moisture were detected by variations in the backscattering coefficient (σ0) (Kasischke et al 2007)
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