Synergistic use of ERS-1, RADARSAT and SSM/I for extraction of sea ice information

Mohammed E. Shokr
Atmospheric Environment Service
4905 Dufferin St., Downsview
Ontario, Canada, M3H-5T4

Tel: 1 416 739 4906
Fax: 1 416 739 4221
E-mail: mohammed.shokr@ec.gc.ca


Sea ice parameters operate at different scale levels ranging from
millimetres to hundreds of kilometres.  Sub-pixel scale parameters are
always difficult to extract.  Synergistic use of remote sensing data
carries potential in resolving this question.  However, it requires the
use of coincident and accurately co-located data from different
platforms.  A technique has been developed to map ground sampling cells
from a coarse-resolution sensor into an image acquired by a
fine-resolution sensor.  Radiometric observations made by the two
sensors from the same ground target can then be combined.  As the number
of observations is increased, retrieval of at least some of the large
number of the state variables that govern the radiation/scattering
processes can be obtained.

This paper summarizes the state of sea ice parameter retrieval from
ERS-1, based on 4 years of experience in the Canadian ice monitoring
program, and identifies situations in which synergistic use of remote
sensing data is warranted.  Applications of the above technique are then
presented to show the gain of information under those situations

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