Data set of Arctic AVHRR imagery for the study of leads

Abstract

Under the Office of Naval Research-sponsored Arctic Leads Accelerated Research Initiative (ARI), a data set of Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) imagery covering the years 1988 through 1992 is being constructed. Relatively cloud-free imagery is selected from image hardcopies. Each image examined is subjectively ranked on the percentage of each sea or seas it covers, and the cloudiness of the image within each sea. The images are then logged in a spreadsheet. From the spreadsheet, about 20 images per month (for the year 1989) are ordered from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for processing. The image data are calibrated and mapped to one of two grids, which together cover most of the Arctic at 1 km per pixel. Care has been taken to match the grid and the projection to that of Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) data distributed by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). The 1989 data set is complete at this time. Presently, data are distributed to the Remote Sensing Working Group of the ARI. NSIDC will distribute the data set to a wider audience at a later date.