Multi-frequency microwave remote sensing of ocean-sea ice-atmosphere dynamics in response to climate change

快速变化的北冰洋海冰正在逐步挑战我们评估生态后果、在平衡环境风险的同时实现社会经济效益和做出循证决策的能力。新出现的北极海冰状况也给现有的基于卫星的观测系统带来了新的问题，同时发展中的观测系统也带来了新的机遇。这一研究计划将有关北冰洋-海冰基质演变的地球物理性质的新信息与前沿的微波遥感技术相结合，以提高气候研究的海冰观测能力，重点是在地方到区域尺度上研究海洋-海冰-大气动力学。该项目的核心目标是利用现有的有源微波系统，即合成孔径雷达，开发新的海冰指示器，以便能够在比目前已知的更广泛的环境条件下观察和研究海冰的特性和相关的生物物理过程。这将通过以下方式实现：解决在海冰体积的现场地球物理、热力学和主动微波散射特性之间的联系方面的关键知识空白，并将新知识与开发空间传感器的有效尺度方法结合起来。在此背景下，将评估卫星成像能力的进步，如紧凑型极化(CP)、快速重访星座以及C波段和L波段合成孔径雷达融合。在地区方面，该项目将把重点放在加拿大北极群岛和附近海域，通过这些水域可以交换海冰。通过发展合作和伙伴关系可以实现的次要目标包括：(1)实施新开发的基于卫星的海冰和海洋表面反演以及现场测量，为海冰-海洋数值模式制定高效和改进的参数化方案，从而改进大气-冰-海洋物理和海洋预报的模拟；以及(2)将探测到的海冰信息翻译给北极社区居民，以便安全、高效地旅行和保护与海冰有关的文化传统。

Rapidly changing Arctic sea ice is progressively challenging our capacity for evaluating ecological consequences, achieving socio-economic benefits while balancing environmental risks, and making evidence-based policy decisions. Emerging Arctic sea ice conditions are also creating new problems for existing, satellite-based, observation systems, while developing observation systems are introducing new opportunities. This research program merges new information about the evolving geophysical properties of the Arctic ocean-sea ice matrix with leading-edge microwave remote sensing technologies, to improve sea ice observational capacity for climate research, with emphasis on the study of ocean-sea ice-atmosphere dynamics at local to regional-scales. The core project objective is to develop new sea ice indicators that utilize current active microwave systems, namely synthetic aperture radar (SAR), so that sea ice properties and related biophysical processes can be observed and studied over a wider set of environmental conditions than are currently known. It will be achieved by addressing critical knowledge gaps in the connection between in situ geophysical, thermodynamic, and active microwave scattering properties of the sea ice volume, and merging new knowledge with effective scaling methods for exploitation of space-borne sensors. Within this context, advancements in satellite imaging capabilities, such as compact polarimetry (CP), rapid-revisit constellations, and C- and L-band frequency SAR fusion will be assessed. Regionally, the project will focus on the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and adjacent waters through which sea ice is exchanged. Secondary objectives, achievable through developed collaborations and partnerships, include: (1) implementation of newly developed satellite-based sea ice and ocean surface retrievals, along with in situ measurements, in the development of efficient and improved parameterizations for numerical sea ice-ocean models, leading to improved simulations of atmosphere-ice-ocean physics and marine forecasts; and (2) translation of detected sea ice information to residents of Arctic communities, to inform safe and efficient travel and preservation of sea ice-associated cultural traditions.