A new dataset has been released for the IceSAR campaign, involving X-, C-, and L-band radar data acquired over the Arctic in 2019.

ESA conducts airborne and ground-based campaigns to support the development of new instruments, and calibration and validation of existing instruments. These campaigns simulate satellite-based instruments and are conducted all over the world in support of a wide range of applications.

The goal of the IceSAR 2019 campaign was to improve understanding of radar backscatter of sea ice at different wavelengths and polarisations. During DLR’s PermaSAR campaign, they took the opportunity to use the F-SAR instrument onboard the plane to conduct some flights over sea ice in the Davis Strait off the coast of Baffin Island.

The IceSAR campaign studied the dataset acquired over a 200 km area in the Davis Strait to investigate ice drift and clustering and classification of sea ice using polarimetric SAR data. The dataset was processed and geocoded onto a UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) grid.

The ice drift analysis studied:

• Range component of ice drift from along-track interferometry
• 2D ice drift from outward and inward flight passes. By using two different look directions, it is possible to estimate the offset between the observations to calculate ice drift.
• Azimuth component from single-pass dual squint analysis. By analysing at least two azimuth looks of a single SAR acquisition, it is possible to derive the azimuth component of motion.

Using these methods, the team consistently calculated the velocity of sea ice. The measurements showed ice speeds varying from zero (land-fast ice attached to the shore or sea floor) to 2 m per second.

The sea ice clustering and classification analysis used state-of-the-art K-means clustering based on a polarimetric distance measure. The L-, C- and X-band data were analysed to categorise clusters of sea ice and classify the different types of ice.

The results of the analysis showed similar results for sea ice clusters in all three radar bands, and the results from different look directions and incidence angles was also mostly consistent. The radar images were able to identify clusters and obtain some textural detail such as the difference between old and young ice. Photographs taken from the aircraft during the flights validated classification of icebergs in the area.

The campaign delivered a set of processed radar data segments in slant-range geometry and the geocoded imagery. The dataset also includes videos of polarimetric pseudo-colour images of both stripes and optical camera pictures.

The dataset is openly available for download following submission of a data access request.

Learn more about the IceSAR 2019 campaign and how to request the data.