Alaska Ice Experiment (AMSRIce) 2003

The microwave channels measured by the Japanese AMSR-E sensor on board the NASA EOS Aqua platform range from 6 to 89 GHz, and are collectively capable of providing global measurements of several geophysical variables, including sea surface temperature, wind speed, cloud amount, water vapor, rain rate, sea ice cover, snow coverage, and soil moisture. Post-launch validation of AMSR-E requires airborne radiometric imaging using a similarly wide set of such bands, and with dual-polarization sensitivity. As a means of providing high-resolution validation of AMSR-E products the NOAA Environmental Technology Laboratory has developed the first wideband airborne polarimetric microwave imaging radiometer, the Polarimetric Scanning Radiometer (PSR). The PSR consists of conically-scanned radiometer sensor heads, each containing several polarimetric radiometers.

To provide comprehensive validation of all AMSR-E bands the first installation of the NOAA PSR using two scanheads operating simultaneously on a single aircraft was accomplished in preparation for the AMSRIce03 sea ice measurement campaign. The AMSRIce03 campaign was conducted out of Fairbanks, Alaska over March 8-24, during which seven successful sea ice mapping missions were flown. The missions focused on high-resolution sea ice imaging within several distinct coastal and open ocean regions around the Alaskan coast, including the Bering Sea ice edge, Norton Sound, Beaufort Sea, and Point Barrow. The campaign resulted in the first comprehensive high-resolution microwave data set to be used to develop improvements in the sea ice mapping capabilities of AMSR-E and future NPOESS satellites, and to study the extent and dynamics of sea ice during the spring arctic melt. The campaign also illustrated the effectiveness of using high-resolution airborne imaging radiometry for monitoring sea ice distributions and, potentially, measuring sea ice thickness.