Iceberg Census and Tracking in the Weddell Sea Utilizing Satellite Data

拟议的研究涉及利用卫星数据探测和跟踪冰山，重点是雷达图像。目标是：（1）提高南极冰盖质量平衡中冰山崩解引起的损失项的准确性;（2）改进对冰山融化和输出引起的淡水通量的估算。作为该项目的一部分，设计了一个用于冰山探测和跟踪的软件工具，将来自不同卫星传感器的图像与冰山漂移的模型预测相结合。一个目标是监测不到百米大小的小冰山。在威德尔海的两个测试站点被选中进行详细的案例研究的冰山崩解和腐烂，其漂移模式的海冰覆盖，洋流和气象条件的敏感性。对不同雷达传感器图像中观察到的冰山特征进行了分析，以进一步改进探测和跟踪程序。这些调查以后将适用于整个南大洋。

The proposed study deals with detection and tracking of icebergs using satellite data, with emphasis on radar imagery. The objectives are: (1) to increase the accuracy of the loss term in the mass balance of the Antarctic ice sheet originating from calving of icebergs, and (2) to improve the estimation of freshwater fluxes due to iceberg melting and export. As part of the project, a software tool for iceberg detection and tracking has been devised that combines images from different satellite sensors and model predictions of iceberg drift. One goal is to monitor also smaller icebergs of less than hundred meters in size. Two test sites in the Weddell Sea were selected for detailed case studies of iceberg calving and decay, and of the sensitivity of their drift pattern to sea ice coverage, ocean currents, and meteorological conditions. Signatures of icebergs observed in images of different radar sensors have been analysed for further improvement of the detection and tracking procedure. The investigations shall later be applied to the whole Southern Ocean.