CryoSat land and sea ice studies in the Arctic

Main objective of the CISAR project is developing methodology for use of CryoSat-2 radar altimeter data in combination with SAR data in Arctic land and sea ice studies and education of young scientists. CryoSat-2 satellite mission, launched in April 2010, will extend the coverage of conventional pulse-limited altimeters and, in particular, to improve the measurement of sea ice thickness freeboard and retrieval of ice thickness. At the same time problems associated with uncertainties of snow loading, penet ration of radar altimeter echo in snow and discrimination of return echoes from different types of the surface will remain. Therefore CryoSat-2 radar altimeter echo shape will be investigated using SAR images as well as in situ and aircraft observations f rom field experiments in order to classify ice types and validate the algorithms for freeboard and ice thickness retrieval. This work will be part of a larger international validation activity planned and implemented by the CryoSat-2 CalVal Team. For land ice the inter-satellite biases between CryoSat-2 and Envisat satellite altimeter measurements over Greenland ice sheet will be estimated. Analysis of inter-satellite biases will be the basis for merging altimeter data needed for extension of the elevatio n time-series measured by ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat satellite altimeters from 1992. The application of CryoSat-2 and SAR data for land and sea ice studies will be promoted through lectures, seminars and supervision of students.