Multi-polarization C-band SAR signatures of arctic sea ice

The Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) is scheduled to be launched on the ENVISAT satellite in summer 2001. For Arctic-sea ice mapping using future ASAR data, we carry out a study of multiple polarization C-band SAR signatures of various sea ice types. We present polarimetric SAR data acquired over sea ice acquired by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory polarimetric AIRSAR system on the NASA DC-8 aircraft over sea ice regions in the Beaufort Sea and the Bering Sea. We use a physical sea ice model to study polarimetric scattering signatures of sea ice. The results also provides useful information to the future RADARSAT-2 multi-polarization SAR for sea ice mapping.