Summary

The Wind-mode of the ERS Active Microwave Instrument [AMI] provides frequent measurements of the microwave backscatter of the Antarctic region in an almost continuous sequence which commenced in August 1991. From these data a time series of coarse resolution composite radar images are generated using normalised values of the backscatter coefficient. Very large icebergs with horizontal dimensions of tens of kilometres are detectable in these images. Their drift tracks and speed are determined by analysis of the image series. The largest iceberg detected is about 8000 km2 in area and smallest 185 km2. The icebergs act as tracers of the ocean currents and give an indication of their speed and variability.

Authors:Young N.W. Publisher: CERSAT-IFREMER, Plouzane, France Published in: 1999 Category 3: Article Program area: Glaciology
Read publication at ifremer.fr
Young N.W. (1999) ERS scatterometer observations of Antarctic iceberg drif, CERSAT NEWS 10. 1-2; http://www.ifremer.fr/cersat/CNEWS/PDF/E_010CN.PDF;

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