A new CryoSat Geographical Mode Mask (v 4.0) is operational from Week 34 2019 (19 August - 26 August) onwards. The mask is the basis of the CryoSat mission planning and defines the mode switching of the SIRAL instrument while the satellite revolves around the Earth.

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) (green) is operated over sea-ice areas and over some ocean basins and coastal zones. SAR Interferometric (SARIn) (purple) mode is used over steeply sloping ice-sheet margins, over some geostrophic ocean currents and over small ice caps and areas of mountain glaciers. It is also used over some major hydrological river basins. Low Resolution Mode (LRM) is operated over areas of the continental ice sheets (red), over oceans and over land not covered by other modes.