Author(s): A. Barker; R. De Abreu; G. W. Timco
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Keywords: No keywords
Abstract: RADARSAT-1 ScanSAR, Fine and Extended High images and QuickBird satellite imagery were visually compared to evaluate their respective ease of use in tracking the initial formation, development and decay of rubble fields and sea ice ridges, in the Canadian Beaufort Sea. Over a period of eight months, 35 RADARSAT Fine and Extended High images and 11 QuickBird images were collected. Available RADARSAT ScanSAR images that roughly coincided with the other modes’ collection dates were obtained through the Canadian Ice Service. The Extended High mode was the most successful at accurately identifying a known target and the most useful for visually monitoring target development. Fine mode images could provide a greater amount of detail, but visual identification of new features could be difficult. While the ScanSAR mode was not useful in detecting unknown features during the freeze-up and winter months, it was able to adequately detect decaying rubble fields after the landfast ice had broken up and open water conditions existed. The QuickBird images, at 0.6 m resolution, provided astounding levels of detail of sea ice features; however, the satellite’s limitations in terms of amount of available light and cloud cover limits its use as a reliable tool for tracking the development of sea ice features on a routine basis. The use of satellite imagery to detect and track sea ice features can be a useful tool for hazard identification, shipping, and identifying sea ice features of interest.
Year: 2008