Application of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Imagery on Antarctic Glaciology

Abstract

Antarctic sea ice and ice sheet were studied using the ERS-1 and JERS-1 SAR images received at Syowa Station in 1991-1993. Analysis was mainly done for sea ice in Lutzow-Holm Bay, ice streams flowing into the bay, ice sheet near the coast and inland nunataks. Back scattering coefficient of the SAR images differs clearly between first-year and multi-year sea ice covered with snow which are difficult to be distinguished in the MOS-1/MESSR images. Weak scattering is confirmed in bare sea ice because of the smooth surface and appears in summer comparing with that in winter. The back scattering differs clearly place to place in ice sheet weak in bear ice along the coast very week in the smooth dry snow area and scattered near nunataks.