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ON THE DETERMINATION OF THE EXTENSION OF SEA ICE IN ARCTIC WATERS BY MEANS OF SATELLITE PICTURES

For about one year satellite pictures received at the Meteorological Institute, Oslo, have been used to prepare charts showing the extension of the sea ice in the Norwegian Sea, the Svalbard area and the Barents Sea. The charts have been mailed to different users. In addition, the positions of the main ice edge are transmitted daily from Jan Mayen Radio and Bjornoya Radio. Usually, satellite pictures give a fairly reliable foundation for the determination of the ice edge, but the method suffers from obvious deficiencies. Firstly, persistent cloud cover may prevent observations for days from the same area. Secondly, details less than some 5 km squared cannot be detected on day light pictures, and on infrared pictures, even details of twice that size will usually be invisible. Thirdly, the temperature of the sea ice surface is occasionally not much different to that of the sea, with the result that no contrast at all can be found on infrared pictures between areas covered by sea ice and areas of open water. This may easily bring about an underestimation of the extent of the ice and is a serious source of error, even more so since infrared satellite pictures are the only data available from the polar seas during the winter half year. Therefore, there will always be a need for additional information from lower levels.

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • Abstract of paper delivered at the First International Conference on "Port and Ocean Engineering under Arctic Conditions" held at Trondheim, Norway, August 23-30, 1971
  • Corporate Authors:

    POAC Conference

    ,    
  • Authors:
    • Schumacher, N J
  • Publication Date: 1971

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00025704
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Arctic Institute of North America
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Mar 28 1973 12:00AM