C-band Backscatter of Oil-polluted New Sea Ice in a Mesocosm

We present an assessment of C-band scatterometer measurements of oil-polluted sea ice in the University of Manitoba’s Sea-ice Environmental Research facility (SERF) mesocosm. Oil was released beneath an established ice sheet and physical characteristics were measured throughout the experiment. Polarimetric backscatter observations of oil seepage through the ice surface show sensitivity in the backscatter intensity. These results increase our understanding of backscattering response to oil-in-sea ice, critical to early oil spill detection in the Arctic marine environment.