Statistical Comparison of Melting Iceberg Backscatter Embedded in Sea Ice and Open Water Using RADARSAT-2 Images of the Newfoundland Sea

Abstract

This article investigates and compares polarimetric signatures of icebergs embedded in sea ice and icebergs in open water. The main objective is to study on the backscatter properties of melting iceberg and to check on whether there is any distinguishable property in them in the case of different background clutter conditions (i.e. sea ice and open water). This study results will improve the potential of iceberg detection using radar polarimetry. RADARSAT-2 images have been used for the analysis acquired over locations near the coastline (approximately 3–35 km) of the island of Newfoundland. For analysis, polarimetry parameters, such as co-(HH) and cross-(HV) polarization and several popular decomposition techniques, specifically Pauli, Freeman–Durden, Yamaguchi, Cloud–Pottier, and van Zyl, have been used to determine the polarimetric signatures of icebergs and sea ice. The statistical hypothesis T-test has been applied to achieve a precise comparison among backscatters from different icebergs groups. Statistical results tend to show a dominant surface scattering mechanism for icebergs in all types of clutter conditions. Moreover, icebergs in open water produce larger volume scatter than icebergs in sea ice, whereas icebergs in sea ice produce larger surface scatter than icebergs in open water.