Microwave and physical properties of sea ice in the winter Marginal Ice Zone

Tucker, W. B.; Grenfell, Thomas C.; Onstott, R.G.; Perovich, Donald K.; Gow, Anthony J.; Snuchman, R. A.; Sutherland, Laura L.

doi:10.1029/90jc02269

Cited by 55 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…In about 85 % of the investigated cases, the Xband intensities varied between −19 dB and −8 dB and were 3-5 dB higher than at C band. This compares well with measurements reported by Tucker et al (1991) (see also overview presented in Dierking, 2012). Publications of radar measurements over sea ice at K u and K a bands are sparse.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 79%

Sea ice local surface topography from single-pass satellite InSAR measurements: a feasibility study

2017

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Abstract. Quantitative parameters characterizing the sea ice surface topography are needed in geophysical investigations such as studies on atmosphere-ice interactions or sea ice mechanics. Recently, the use of space-borne single-pass interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) for retrieving the ice surface topography has attracted notice among geophysicists. In this paper the potential of InSAR measurements is examined for several satellite configurations and radar frequencies, considering statistics of heights and widths of ice ridges as well as possible magnitudes of ice drift. It is shown that, theoretically, surface height variations can be retrieved with relative errors ≤ 0.5 m. In practice, however, the sea ice drift and open water leads may contribute significantly to the measured interferometric phase. Another essential factor is the dependence of the achievable interferometric baseline on the satellite orbit configurations. Possibilities to assess the influence of different factors on the measurement accuracy are demonstrated: signal-to-noise ratio, presence of a snow layer, and the penetration depth into the ice. Practical examples of sea surface height retrievals from bistatic SAR images collected during the TanDEM-X Science Phase are presented.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 79%

Sea ice local surface topography from single-pass satellite InSAR measurements: a feasibility study

2017

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“…Young ice, 36 cm thick, was found to have a bulk salinity of about 8.6 ppt and a density of 0.92 Mgm . These results are presented in Tucker et al [7].…”

Section: A Expected Salinity Distributionsupporting

confidence: 59%

“…Furthermore, as is shown in Fig. 1, the GR derived for microwave backscatter [GR (37, 18)] was able to differentiate open water from nilas and pancakes from first-year ice [7]. This shows that this clustering of ice forms that cannot be resolved by the passive microwave gradient ratio [GR (37, 18)] have very different scattering characteristics.…”

Section: B Field Studies Of Pancake Icementioning

confidence: 76%

Electromagnetic and physical properties of sea ice formed in the presence of wave action

Onstott

Gogineni²,

Gow³

et al. 1998

IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sensing

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Abstract-Estimating the magnitude of brine flux to the upper ocean requires an ability to assess the dynamics of the formation of sea ice in a region. Brine storage and rate of expulsion is determined by the environmental conditions under which the sea ice forms. In this paper, the physical and electromagnetic properties of sea ice, formed under wave-agitated conditions, are studied and compared with results obtained from ice formed under quiescent conditions. Wave agitation is known to have a profound effect on the air-ice interface and internal ice structure. A variety of sensors, both active and passive, optical and microwave, were used to perform this characterization. Measured electromagnetic parameters included radar backscatter, microwave emission, and spectral albedo in the visible and infrared. Measured physical properties included ice structure, brine and temperature distribution, profiles of the vertical height of the air-ice interface, and ice formation processes. Results showed that emission, backscatter, and albedo all take different signature paths during the transformation from saline water to young sea ice and that the paths depend on sea surface state during ice formation.

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“…Yet, in comparison with the Arctic perennial sea ice, much less is known about the physical or isotopic properties of sea ice in these areas [Wadhams, 1986;Weeks, 1986;Lange et al, 1990;Tucker et al, 1991]. In particular, there is a severe lack of in situ data on the marginal ice cover during a mid-winter period.…”

Section: • Frontier Research System For Global Change-intemational Armentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical and stable isotopic properties and growth processes of sea ice collected in the southern Sea of Okhotsk

Ukita¹,

Κawamura²,

Тanaka³

et al. 2000

J. Geophys. Res.

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Abstract. This study presents physical and stable isotopic properties of sea ice in the southernmost section of the Sea of Okhotsk on the basis of observations and measurements made in 1995 and 1996 midwinter cruises. Structural analysis revealed that ice was predominantly of the granular type. Saucer-shaped cores and wedges were seen in the cross sections of the pancakes, which indicate a rafting event in the early stage of the pancake formation. The fraction of snow with respect to the total ice mass was estimated at -•8% from independent/5•80 and density measurements. From these findings we conclude that the initial growth mechanisms of the sea ice over this region are by the frazil pancake cycle with rafting and by the snow ice formation. Analysis also shows that the formation of the snow ice induces -10% more salt flux through the additional freezing of the seawater. In a short (synoptic) timescale this implies that snow becomes a negative (salting) rather than a positive (freshening) source for the buoyancy flux. These results suggest critical influence of the rapid formation of the frazil pancakes and snow ice under stormy conditions on the salt and buoyancy fluxes over the region.

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Microwave and physical properties of sea ice in the winter Marginal Ice Zone

Cited by 55 publications

References 15 publications

Sea ice local surface topography from single-pass satellite InSAR measurements: a feasibility study

Sea ice local surface topography from single-pass satellite InSAR measurements: a feasibility study

Electromagnetic and physical properties of sea ice formed in the presence of wave action

Physical and stable isotopic properties and growth processes of sea ice collected in the southern Sea of Okhotsk

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