Summary:
Satellite observations of sea ice is an essential method in the studies of local ice cover deformation and mesoscale ice dynamics, which are the main research problems in the ICE STATE project. This study presents results of the first analysis of satellite images used in the ICE STATE field experiment, ZIP-97, in the Bothniam Bay in March 1997. This experiment offered the first opportunity to study RADARSAT SAR images of sea ice in this region, both ScarSAR images covering the whole Bothnian Bay and Fine-resolution images of the experimental area. RADARSAT images, in combination with ERS-2 SAR images, were used to investigate ice dynamics including ridge formation, lead generation and the basinwide ice velocity field. Drifting ice buoys with GPS positioning system were used for comparison with the SAR-derived ice rift vectors. Also optical images with medium and high resolution and aircraft photographs data were used for validation of the SAR images. The satellite data can be used for ice type classification, ridge mapping, identification of floes, leads, shear zones, drifting ice and fast ice. Satellites can make synoptic maps of large ice areas at a resolution of 100m. Microwave data from SAR can be used independent of weather and light condition, while optical instruments require cloud free conditions and daylight.