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© 2015. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Sea ice concentration has been retrieved in polar regions with satellite microwave radiometers for over 30 years. However, the question remains as to what is an optimal sea ice concentration retrieval method for climate monitoring. This paper presents some of the key results of an extensive algorithm inter-comparison and evaluation experiment. The skills of 30 sea ice algorithms were evaluated systematically over low and high sea ice concentrations. Evaluation criteria included standard deviation relative to independent validation data, performance in the presence of thin ice and melt ponds, and sensitivity to error sources with seasonal to inter-annual variations and potential climatic trends, such as atmospheric water vapour and water-surface roughening by wind. A selection of 13 algorithms is shown in the article to demonstrate the results. Based on the findings, a hybrid approach is suggested to retrieve sea ice concentration globally for climate monitoring purposes. This approach consists of a combination of two algorithms plus dynamic tie points implementation and atmospheric correction of input brightness temperatures. The method minimizes inter-sensor calibration discrepancies and sensitivity to the mentioned error sources.

Details

Title
Inter-comparison and evaluation of sea ice algorithms: towards further identification of challenges and optimal approach using passive microwave observations
Author
Ivanova, N 1 ; Pedersen, L T 2 ; Tonboe, R T 2 ; Kern, S 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Heygster, G 4 ; Lavergne, T 5 ; Sørensen, A 5 ; Saldo, R 6 ; Dybkjær, G 2 ; Brucker, L 7   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Shokr, M 8 

 Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center, Bergen, Norway 
 Danish Meteorological Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark 
 University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany 
 University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany 
 Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Oslo, Norway 
 Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark 
 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory, Code 615, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA; Universities Space Research Association, Goddard Earth Sciences Technology and Research Studies and Investigations, Columbia, Maryland 21044, USA 
 Environment Canada, Ontario, Canada 
Pages
1797-1817
Publication year
2015
Publication date
2015
Publisher
Copernicus GmbH
ISSN
19940424
e-ISSN
19940416
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2414139748
Copyright
© 2015. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.