Spatial and temporal variability of SAR backscatter signatures of coastal sea-ice types off the Lena River Delta (Laptev Sea)

Field observations and SAR imagery of coastal ice off the Lena Delta (Laptev Sea) in 1996/97 show a strong zonation of ice types associated with gradients in ice dielectric properties and microstructure. Ice-growth and radar-backscatter modelling indicate that the distinct transition between ice of high mean, low variance and low mean, high variance backscatter corresponds to an increase in parent water-mass salinity above 2 to 5/sup 0///sub 00/. High radar penetration depths allow for detection and mapping of bottomfast ice.