Initial Evaluation of Radarsat-2 for Operational Sea Ice Monitoring

Environment Canada's Canadian Ice Service (CIS) is responsible for the daily monitoring of Canadian coastal waters for ice and icebergs, and the presence of oil-based pollution. The routine provision of information on floating ice conditions promotes safe and efficient maritime operations and protects Canada's environment by providing reliable and timely information to marine users in Canadian waters. The CIS relies on a suite of both airborne and satellite sensors to operationally monitor ice in Canadian coastal and inland waterways. Satellite SAR, primarily from RADARSAT-1 and Envisat ASAR, are the primary satellite datasets used by the CIS for monitoring. On December 14, 2007, RADARSAT-1's successor, RADARSAT-2 was successfully launched. In the winter and spring of 2008, the CIS will be performing an evaluation of the performance of RADARSAT-2 in support of its ice operations. In this work, we will provide a preliminary assessment of the use of this new SAR sensor for monitoring sea ice conditions. Its performance will be compared against RADARSAT-1 and the utility of the new advanced SAR modes (e.g. ScanSAR dual-polarization) for operational ice monitoring will be reviewed based on images collected to date. Preliminary recommendations on mode selection will also be made to assist those interested in using this new platform for ice monitoring.