Deep sea drilling on the Yermark Plateau
 A
special vessel for deep sea drilling was operating in the Fram Strait in August
and September 1993, during Leg 151 of the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP). Some of
the drill sites were in the ice edge region north of 80ºN, and accurate ice
maps available in real time were important for planning and implantation of the
drill operations. Therefore, SAR images from ERS-1 were used as often as they
were available in this area. The ERS-1 SAR images were interpreted for ice edge
location, ice concentration and ice motion. The image taken on August 22 (see
this map ) for position of the
SAR image) showed a clear and compact ice edge (B and arrows) between the compact
pack ice (A) and the open water (C). In other cases the edge was more diffuse
and not always easy to identify in SAR images. In addition, SSM/I and AVHRR data
were used to fill gaps between the SAR coverage and map the ice edge on larger
scale as shown in this image .
The position of the drill site Y1 (81.05ºN, 7ºE) is marked with an asterisk
(*) . This location was ice-covered most of the time in August and September.
The successful use of satellite data in ODP, especially ERS-1 SAR images, has
been reported by several authors.
NERSC, Bergen, Norway
Keywords: ESA European
Space Agency - Agence spatiale europeenne,
observation de la terre, earth observation,
satellite remote sensing,
teledetection, geophysique, altimetrie, radar,
chimique atmospherique, geophysics, altimetry, radar,
atmospheric chemistry
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EO Data Access
A
special vessel for deep sea drilling was operating in the Fram Strait in August
and September 1993, during Leg 151 of the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP). Some of
the drill sites were in the ice edge region north of 80ºN, and accurate ice
maps available in real time were important for planning and implantation of the
drill operations. Therefore, SAR images from ERS-1 were used as often as they
were available in this area. The ERS-1 SAR images were interpreted for ice edge
location, ice concentration and ice motion. The image taken on August 22 (see
this map ) for position of the
SAR image) showed a clear and compact ice edge (B and arrows) between the compact
pack ice (A) and the open water (C). In other cases the edge was more diffuse
and not always easy to identify in SAR images. In addition, SSM/I and AVHRR data
were used to fill gaps between the SAR coverage and map the ice edge on larger
scale as shown in this image .
