|
|
L-Band West Texas
This radar image of the Midl
…
6/22/95
| Date |
6/22/95 |
| Description |
This radar image of the Midland/Odessa region of West Texas, demonstrates an experimental technique, called ScanSAR, that allows scientists to rapidly image large areas of the Earth's surface. The large image covers an area 245 kilometers by 225 kilometers (152 miles by 139 miles). It was obtained by the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR- C/X-SAR) flying aboard the space shuttle Endeavour on October 5, 1994. The smaller inset image is a standard SIR-C image showing a portion of the same area, 100 kilometers by 57 kilometers (62 miles by 35 miles) and was taken during the first flight of SIR-C on April 14, 1994. The bright spots on the right side of the image are the cities of Odessa (left) and Midland (right), Texas. The Pecos River runs from the top center to the bottom center of the image. Along the left side of the image are, from top to bottom, parts of the Guadalupe, Davis and Santiago Mountains. North is toward the upper right. Unlike conventional radar imaging, in which a radar continuously illuminates a single ground swath as the space shuttle passes over the terrain, a Scansar radar illuminates several adjacent ground swaths almost simultaneously, by "scanning" the radar beam across a large area in a rapid sequence. The adjacent swaths, typically about 50 km (31 miles) wide, are then merged during ground processing to produce a single large scene. Illumination for this L-band scene is from the top of the image. The beams were scanned from the top of the scene to the bottom, as the shuttle flew from left to right. This scene was acquired in about 30 seconds. A normal SIR- C image is acquired in about 13 seconds. The ScanSAR mode will likely be used on future radar sensors to construct regional and possibly global radar images and topographic maps. The ScanSAR processor is being designed for 1996 implementation at NASA's Alaska SAR Facility, located at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and will produce digital images from the forthcoming Canadian RADARSAT satellite. Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C and X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) is part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth. The radars illuminate Earth with microwaves, allowing detailed observations at any time, regardless of weather or sunlight conditions. SIR-C/X-SAR uses three microwave wavelengths: L-band (24 cm), C-band (6 cm) and X- band (3 cm). The multi-frequency data will be used by the international scientific community to better understand the global environment and how it is changing. The SIR-C/X-SAR data, complemented by aircraft and ground studies, will give scientists clearer insights into those environmental changes which are caused by nature and those changes which are induced by human activity. SIR-C was developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. X-SAR was developed by the Dornier and Alenia Spazio companies for the German space agency, Deutsche Agentur fuer Raumfahrtangelegenheiten (DARA), and the Italian space agency, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI), with the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fuer Luft und Raumfahrt e.v.(DLR), the major partner in science, operations, and data processing of X-SAR. ##### |
|
ICESat First Light Release:
…
| Title |
ICESat First Light Release: Antarctica, from Coast to Coast |
| Abstract |
ICESat's first topographic profiles across the continent reveal the textured surfaces of Antarctic ice sheets in unprecedented detail. The following profile spans the entire Antarctic continent from coast to coast. The transect begins near Wrigley Gulf, crosses the Ross Ice Shelf and central Antarctica, finally tapering off at the Amery Ice Shelf. The high flat area in the center of the continent is called the East Antarctic plateau. |
| Completed |
2003-05-23 |
|
ICESat First Light Release:
…
| Title |
ICESat First Light Release: Antarctica, from Coast to Coast |
| Abstract |
ICESat's first topographic profiles across the continent reveal the textured surfaces of Antarctic ice sheets in unprecedented detail. The following profile spans the entire Antarctic continent from coast to coast. The transect begins near Wrigley Gulf, crosses the Ross Ice Shelf and central Antarctica, finally tapering off at the Amery Ice Shelf. The high flat area in the center of the continent is called the East Antarctic plateau. |
| Completed |
2003-05-23 |
|
ICESat First Light Release:
…
| Title |
ICESat First Light Release: Antarctica, from Coast to Coast |
| Abstract |
ICESat's first topographic profiles across the continent reveal the textured surfaces of Antarctic ice sheets in unprecedented detail. The following profile spans the entire Antarctic continent from coast to coast. The transect begins near Wrigley Gulf, crosses the Ross Ice Shelf and central Antarctica, finally tapering off at the Amery Ice Shelf. The high flat area in the center of the continent is called the East Antarctic plateau. |
| Completed |
2003-05-23 |
|
ICESat First Light Release:
…
| Title |
ICESat First Light Release: Antarctica, from Coast to Coast |
| Abstract |
ICESat's first topographic profiles across the continent reveal the textured surfaces of Antarctic ice sheets in unprecedented detail. The following profile spans the entire Antarctic continent from coast to coast. The transect begins near Wrigley Gulf, crosses the Ross Ice Shelf and central Antarctica, finally tapering off at the Amery Ice Shelf. The high flat area in the center of the continent is called the East Antarctic plateau. |
| Completed |
2003-05-23 |
|
ICESat First Light Release:
…
| Title |
ICESat First Light Release: Antarctica, from Coast to Coast |
| Abstract |
ICESat's first topographic profiles across the continent reveal the textured surfaces of Antarctic ice sheets in unprecedented detail. The following profile spans the entire Antarctic continent from coast to coast. The transect begins near Wrigley Gulf, crosses the Ross Ice Shelf and central Antarctica, finally tapering off at the Amery Ice Shelf. The high flat area in the center of the continent is called the East Antarctic plateau. |
| Completed |
2003-05-23 |
|
ICESat First Light Release:
…
| Title |
ICESat First Light Release: Antarctica, from Coast to Coast |
| Abstract |
ICESat's first topographic profiles across the continent reveal the textured surfaces of Antarctic ice sheets in unprecedented detail. The following profile spans the entire Antarctic continent from coast to coast. The transect begins near Wrigley Gulf, crosses the Ross Ice Shelf and central Antarctica, finally tapering off at the Amery Ice Shelf. The high flat area in the center of the continent is called the East Antarctic plateau. |
| Completed |
2003-05-23 |
|
ICESat First Light Release:
…
| Title |
ICESat First Light Release: Antarctica, from Coast to Coast |
| Abstract |
ICESat's first topographic profiles across the continent reveal the textured surfaces of Antarctic ice sheets in unprecedented detail. The following profile spans the entire Antarctic continent from coast to coast. The transect begins near Wrigley Gulf, crosses the Ross Ice Shelf and central Antarctica, finally tapering off at the Amery Ice Shelf. The high flat area in the center of the continent is called the East Antarctic plateau. |
| Completed |
2003-05-23 |
|
Antarctica: Amery Ice Shelf
…
| Title |
Antarctica: Amery Ice Shelf and Lambert Glacier fly-over |
| Completed |
1999-11-08 |
|
Antarctica: Amery Ice Shelf
…
| Title |
Antarctica: Amery Ice Shelf and Lambert Glacier fly-over |
| Completed |
1999-11-08 |
|
Antarctica: Amery Ice Shelf
…
| Title |
Antarctica: Amery Ice Shelf and Lambert Glacier fly-over |
| Completed |
1999-11-08 |
|
Ice Types in the Beaufort Se
…
| Title |
Ice Types in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska |
| Description |
browse image, of orbit 6663 (420 KB JPEG) Determining the amount and type of sea ice in the polar oceans is crucial to improving our knowledge and understanding of polar weather and long term climate fluctuations. These views from two satellite remote sensing instruments, the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) on board the RADARSAT satellite and the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR), illustrate different methods that may be used to assess sea ice type. Sea ice in the Beaufort Sea off the north coast of Alaska was classified and mapped in these concurrent images acquired March 19, 2001 and mapped to the same geographic area. To identify sea ice types, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Ice Center constructs ice charts using several data sources including RADARSAT SAR images such as the one shown at left. SAR classifies sea ice types primarily by how the surface and subsurface roughness influence radar backscatter. In the SAR image, white lines delineate different sea ice zones as identified by the National Ice Center. Regions of mostly multiyear ice (A) are separated from regions with large amounts of first year and younger ice (B-D), and the dashed white line at bottom marks the coastline. In general, sea ice types that exhibit increased radar backscatter appear bright in SAR and are identified as rougher, older ice types. Younger, smoother ice types appear dark to SAR. Near the top of the SAR image, however, red arrows point to bright areas in which large, crystalline "frost flowers" have formed on young, thin ice, causing this young ice type to exhibit an increased radar backscatter. Frost flowers are strongly backscattering at radar wavelengths (cm) due to both surface roughness and the high salinity of frost flowers, which causes them to be highly reflective to radar energy. Surface roughness is also registered by MISR, although the roughness observed is at a different spatial scale. Older, rougher ice areas are predominantly backward scattering to the MISR cameras, whereas younger, smoother ice types are predominantly forward scattering. The MISR map at right was generated using a statistical classification routine (called ISODATA) and analyzed using ice charts from the National Ice Center. Five classes of sea ice were found based upon the classification of MISR angular data. These are described, based on interpretation of the SAR image, by the image key. Very smooth ice areas that are predominantly forward scattering are colored red. Frost flowers are largely smooth to the MISR visible band sensor and are mapped as forward scattering. Areas mapped as blue are predominantly backward scattering, and the other three classes have statistically distinct angular signatures and fall within the middle of the forward/backward scattering continuum. Some areas that may be first year or younger ice between the multi year ice floes are not discernible to SAR, illustrating how MISR potentially can make a unique contribution, to sea ice mapping. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. The MISR Browse Image Viewer [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/MISRBR/ ] provides access to low-resolution true-color versions of these images. This data product was generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 6663. The MISR image has been cropped to include an area that is 200 kilometers wide, and utilizes data from blocks 30 to 33 within World Reference System-2 path 71. Image courtesy NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, MISR Team. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://www-misr.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] RADARSAT image courtesy NOAA Satellite Active Archive. Figure reprinted courtesy of IEEE. |
|
Ice Types in the Beaufort Se
…
| Title |
Ice Types in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska |
| Description |
browse image, of orbit 6663 (420 KB JPEG) Determining the amount and type of sea ice in the polar oceans is crucial to improving our knowledge and understanding of polar weather and long term climate fluctuations. These views from two satellite remote sensing instruments, the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) on board the RADARSAT satellite and the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR), illustrate different methods that may be used to assess sea ice type. Sea ice in the Beaufort Sea off the north coast of Alaska was classified and mapped in these concurrent images acquired March 19, 2001 and mapped to the same geographic area. To identify sea ice types, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Ice Center constructs ice charts using several data sources including RADARSAT SAR images such as the one shown at left. SAR classifies sea ice types primarily by how the surface and subsurface roughness influence radar backscatter. In the SAR image, white lines delineate different sea ice zones as identified by the National Ice Center. Regions of mostly multiyear ice (A) are separated from regions with large amounts of first year and younger ice (B-D), and the dashed white line at bottom marks the coastline. In general, sea ice types that exhibit increased radar backscatter appear bright in SAR and are identified as rougher, older ice types. Younger, smoother ice types appear dark to SAR. Near the top of the SAR image, however, red arrows point to bright areas in which large, crystalline "frost flowers" have formed on young, thin ice, causing this young ice type to exhibit an increased radar backscatter. Frost flowers are strongly backscattering at radar wavelengths (cm) due to both surface roughness and the high salinity of frost flowers, which causes them to be highly reflective to radar energy. Surface roughness is also registered by MISR, although the roughness observed is at a different spatial scale. Older, rougher ice areas are predominantly backward scattering to the MISR cameras, whereas younger, smoother ice types are predominantly forward scattering. The MISR map at right was generated using a statistical classification routine (called ISODATA) and analyzed using ice charts from the National Ice Center. Five classes of sea ice were found based upon the classification of MISR angular data. These are described, based on interpretation of the SAR image, by the image key. Very smooth ice areas that are predominantly forward scattering are colored red. Frost flowers are largely smooth to the MISR visible band sensor and are mapped as forward scattering. Areas mapped as blue are predominantly backward scattering, and the other three classes have statistically distinct angular signatures and fall within the middle of the forward/backward scattering continuum. Some areas that may be first year or younger ice between the multi year ice floes are not discernible to SAR, illustrating how MISR potentially can make a unique contribution, to sea ice mapping. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. The MISR Browse Image Viewer [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/MISRBR/ ] provides access to low-resolution true-color versions of these images. This data product was generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 6663. The MISR image has been cropped to include an area that is 200 kilometers wide, and utilizes data from blocks 30 to 33 within World Reference System-2 path 71. Image courtesy NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, MISR Team. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://www-misr.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] RADARSAT image courtesy NOAA Satellite Active Archive. Figure reprinted courtesy of IEEE. |
|
A RADARSAT Map of Antarctica
| Title |
A RADARSAT Map of Antarctica |
| Explanation |
It's not easy to make a map of Antarctica [ http://www.glacier.rice.edu/invitation/1_introduction.html ]. Earth's southern most continent is so cold and inhospitable that much of it remains unexplored [ http://www.terraquest.com/va/guidebook/guidebook.html ]. From space [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970306.html ], though, it is possible to map this entire region by radar [ http://www.naic.edu/~sulzer/radar.html ]: by systematically noting how long it takes for radio waves [ http://windows.engin.umich.edu/spaceweather/wave_modulation.html ] to reflect off the terrain. The Canadian satellite RADARSAT [ http://radarsat.space.gc.ca/ ] has been orbiting the Earth for the past five years making radar maps, and has recently released the most detailed map of Antarctica [ http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/imagewall/antarctica.html ] ever created. Above [ http://pao.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/earth/radarsat.htm ] is a computer-generated map of Antarctica [ http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/antarctica/ ] at relatively low resolution. From the RADARSAT map [ http://radarsat.space.gc.ca/info/AMM/menu.html ], scientists have been able to better study this mysterious continent [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951222.html ], including information about how ancient ice-shelves [ http://www.asoc.org/general/iceshelve.htm ] are crumbling. |
|
Twin Blue Marbles: Image of
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
A day's clouds. The shape an
…
ipcc_bluemarble
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2001-09-06 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA images by Reto Stöckli, based on data from NASA and NOAA. |
| identifier |
ipcc_bluemarble |
|
Wet-Season Floods Along the
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
August is often a critical t
…
Mekong_RST_2006240
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-03-13 |
| creator |
NASA -- Image product by www.hatfieldgroup.com Hatfield Consultants Ltd. RADARSAT-1 images copyright the Canadian Space Agency |
| identifier |
Mekong_RST_2006240 |
|
Global View of the Arctic Oc
…
PIA02970
Sol (our sun)
Imaging Radar
| Title |
Global View of the Arctic Ocean |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
NASA researchers have new insights into the mysteries of Arctic sea ice, thanks to the unique abilities of Canada's Radarsat satellite. The Arctic is the smallest of the world's four oceans, but it may play a large role in helping scientists monitor Earth's climate shifts. Using Radarsat's special sensors to take images at night and to peer through clouds, NASA researchers can now see the complete ice cover of the Arctic. This allows tracking of any shifts and changes, in unprecedented detail, over the course of an entire winter. The radar-generated, high-resolution images are up to 100 times better than those taken by previous satellites. Using this new information, scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif., can generate comprehensive maps of Arctic sea ice thickness for the first time. "Before we knew only the extent of the ice cover," said Dr. Ronald Kwok, JPL principal investigator of a project called Sea Ice Thickness Derived From High Resolution Radar Imagery. "We also knew that the sea ice extent had decreased over the last 20 years, but we knew very little about ice thickness.""Since sea ice is very thin, about 3 meters (10 feet) or less,"Kwok explained, "it is very sensitive to climate change." Until now, observations of polar sea ice thickness have been available for specific areas, but not for the entire polar region. The new radar mapping technique has also given scientists a close look at how the sea ice cover grows and contorts over time. "Using this new data set, we have the first estimates of how much ice has been produced and where it formed during the winter. We have never been able to do this before, " said Kwok. "Through our radar maps of the Arctic Ocean, we can actually see ice breaking apart and thin ice growth in the new openings. " RADARSAT gives researchers a piece of the overall puzzle every three days by creating a complete image of the Arctic. NASA scientists then put those puzzle pieces together to create a time-lapsed view of this remote and inhospitable region. So far, they have processed one season's worth of images."We can see large cracks in the ice cover, where most ice grows, " said Kwok. "These cracks are much longer than previously thought, some as long as 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles)," Kwok continued. "If the ice is thinning due to warming, we'll expect to see more of these long cracks over the Arctic Ocean. " Scientists believe this is one of the most significant breakthroughs in the last two decades of ice research. "We are now in a position to better understand the sea ice cover and the role of the Arctic Ocean in global climate change, " said Kwok. Radar can see through clouds and any kind of weather system, day or night, and as the Arctic regions are usually cloud-covered and subject to long, dark winters, radar is proving to be extremely useful. However, compiling these data into extremely detailed pictures of the Arctic is a challenging task."This is truly, a major innovation in terms of the quantities of data being processed and the novelty of the methods being used, " said Verne Kaupp, director of the Alaska SAR Facility at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. The mission is a joint project between JPL, the Alaska SAR Facility, and the Canadian Space Agency. Launched by NASA in 1995, the Radarsat satellite is operated by the Canadian Space Agency. JPL manages the Sea Ice Thickness Derived From High Resolution Radar Imagery project for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, Washington, DC. The Earth Science Enterprise is dedicated to studying how natural and human-induced changes affect our global environment. |
|
Comparative Views of Arctic
…
PIA02971
Sol (our sun)
Imaging Radar
| Title |
Comparative Views of Arctic Sea Ice Growth |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
NASA researchers have new insights into the mysteries of Arctic sea ice, thanks to the unique abilities of Canada's Radarsat satellite. The Arctic is the smallest of the world's four oceans, but it may play a large role in helping scientists monitor Earth's climate shifts. Using Radarsat's special sensors to take images at night and to peer through clouds, NASA researchers can now see the complete ice cover of the Arctic. This allows tracking of any shifts and changes, in unprecedented detail, over the course of an entire winter. The radar-generated, high-resolution images are up to 100 times better than those taken by previous satellites. The two images above are separated by nine days (earlier image on the left). Both images represent an area (approximately 96 by 128 kilometers, 60 by 80 miles)located in the Baufort Sea, north of the Alaskan coast. The brighter features are older thicker ice and the darker areas show young, recently formed ice. Within the nine-day span, large and extensive cracks in the ice cover have formed due to ice movement. These cracks expose the open ocean to the cold, frigid atmosphere where sea ice grows rapidly and thickens. Using this new information, scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif., can generate comprehensive maps of Arctic sea ice thickness for the first time. "Before we knew only the extent of the ice cover," said Dr. Ronald Kwok, JPL principal investigator of a project called Sea Ice Thickness Derived From High Resolution Radar Imagery. "We also knew that the sea ice extent had decreased over the last 20 years, but we knew very little about ice thickness.""Since sea ice is very thin, about 3 meters (10 feet) or less,"Kwok explained, "it is very sensitive to climate change." Until now, observations of polar sea ice thickness have been available for specific areas, but not for the entire polar region. The new radar mapping technique has also given scientists a close look at how the sea ice cover grows and contorts over time. "Using this new data set, we have the first estimates of how much ice has been produced and where it formed during the winter. We have never been able to do this before," said Kwok. "Through our radar maps of the Arctic Ocean, we can actually see ice breaking apart and thin ice growth in the new openings." RADARSAT gives researchers a piece of the overall puzzle every three days by creating a complete image of the Arctic. NASA scientists then put those puzzle pieces together to create a time-lapsed view of this remote and inhospitable region. So far, they have processed one season's worth of images."We can see large cracks in the ice cover, where most ice grows," said Kwok. "These cracks are much longer than previously thought, some as long as 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles)," Kwok continued. "If the ice is thinning due to warming, we'll expect to see more of these long cracks over the Arctic Ocean." Scientists believe this is one of the most, significant breakthroughs in the last two decades of ice research. "We are now in a position to better understand the sea ice cover and the role of the Arctic Ocean in global climate change," said Kwok. Radar can see through clouds and any kind of weather system, day or night, and as the Arctic regions are usually cloud-covered and subject to long, dark winters, radar is proving to be extremely useful. However, compiling these data into extremely detailed pictures of the Arctic is a challenging task."This is truly a major innovation in terms of the quantities of data being processed and the novelty of the methods being used," said Verne Kaupp, director of the Alaska SAR Facility at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. The mission is a joint project between JPL, the Alaska SAR Facility, and the Canadian Space Agency. Launched by NASA in 1995, the Radarsat satellite is operated by the Canadian Space Agency. JPL manages the Sea Ice Thickness Derived From High Resolution Radar Imagery project for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, Washington, DC. The Earth Science Enterprise is dedicated to studying how natural and human-induced changes affect our global environment. |
|
Ice Types in the Beaufort Se
…
PIA04300
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Ice Types in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Determining the amount and type of sea ice in the polar oceans is crucial to improving our knowledge and understanding of polar weather and long term climate fluctuations. These views from two satellite remote sensing instruments, the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) on board the RADARSAT satellite and the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR), illustrate different methods that may be used to assess sea ice type. Sea ice in the Beaufort Sea off the north coast of Alaska was classified and mapped in these concurrent images acquired March 19, 2001 and mapped to the same geographic area. To identify sea ice types, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Ice Center constructs ice charts using several data sources including RADARSAT SAR images such as the one shown at left. SAR classifies sea ice types primarily by how the surface and subsurface roughness influence radar backscatter. In the SAR image, white lines delineate different sea ice zones as identified by the National Ice Center. Regions of mostly multi-year ice (A) are separated from regions with large amounts of first year and younger ice (B-D), and the dashed white line at bottom marks the coastline. In general, sea ice types that exhibit increased radar backscatter appear bright in SAR and are identified as rougher, older ice types. Younger, smoother ice types appear dark to SAR. Near the top of the SAR image, however, red arrows point to bright areas in which large, crystalline "frost flowers" have formed on young, thin ice, causing this young ice type to exhibit an increased radar backscatter. Frost flowers are strongly backscattering at radar wavelengths (cm) due to both surface roughness and the high salinity of frost flowers, which causes them to be highly reflective to radar energy. Surface roughness is also registered by MISR, although the roughness observed is at a different spatial scale. Older, rougher ice areas are predominantly backward scattering to the MISR cameras, whereas younger, smoother ice types are predominantly forward scattering. The MISR map at right was generated using a statistical classification routine (called ISODATA) and analyzed using ice charts from the National Ice Center. Five classes of sea ice were found based upon the classification of MISR angular data. These are described, based on interpretation of the SAR image, by the image key. Very smooth ice areas that are predominantly forward scattering are colored red. Frost flowers are largely smooth to the MISR visible band sensor and are mapped as forward scattering. Areas mapped as blue are predominantly backward scattering, and the other three classes have statistically distinct angular signatures and fall within the middle of the forward/backward scattering continuum. Some areas that may be first year or younger ice between the multi year ice floes are not discernible to SAR, illustrating how MISR potentially can make a unique contribution to sea ice mapping. The, Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. This data product was generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 6663. The MISR image has been cropped to include an area that is 200 kilometers wide, and utilizes data from blocks 30 to 33 within World Reference System-2 path 71. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center,Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute ofTechnology. |
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|
