NASA ARSET: Detecting and Monitoring Sea Ice with SAR, Part 1/3

SAR for Detecting and Monitoring Floods, Sea Ice, and Subsidence from Groundwater Extraction

Part 1: Detecting and Monitoring Sea Ice with SAR

Trainers: Erika Podest (JPL)

Guest Speakers: Malin Johansson (The Arctic University of Norway)

Over the past decade shipping traffic in the Arctic has expanded rapidly and as Arctic sea ice recedes due to climate change, an increased number of vessels with low ice-class are venturing into the region. One hazard that these ships face is striking sea ice and among the most serious hazards is becoming surrounded and stuck in sea ice. The pressure of the ice on the ship’s hull can cause severe structural damage, which can lead to oil spills. The entrapped ship can also drift towards shallower waters resulting in grounding, endangering its crew, passengers, or cargo. In addition, the loss of sea ice makes coastlines become vulnerable to bigger waves from storms, leading to accelerated erosion that impacts people and wildlife. Detecting and monitoring sea ice can help identify areas at risk for ships and also help inform on mitigation strategies along coastal areas in the Arctic. This session will provide a summary of the theory of SAR for detecting sea ice followed by a demo using SAR data with the SNAP Toolbox to generate maps of sea ice.