Generation and Assessment of Daily Sea Ice Extent Images from SCATSAT-1 (2.25 km) Over Arctic

The extent of Arctic sea ice variation has always been of concern for researchers as it directly reacts in response to climatic variation. This article describes the significance of SACTSAT-1 image-based product, Daily Arctic Sea Ice Extent Images (SIE), having 2.25 km resolution and represents the sea ice extent map in the Arctic region. The methodology for the derivation of SIE Images is based on the hierarchical decision rules applied to SCATSAT-1 data for the identification of sea ice. The thresholds for backscattering and brightness temperature are estimated and applied along with a priori values derived from the pixel’s temporal history. Brightness temperature product, along with the dual-polarization backscattering products, is found to be very effective for sea ice discrimination from the surrounding water. The SIE images are validated with sea ice extent derived from AMSR2 Sea Ice Concentration products and found to be having an overall accuracy of greater than 95%. Daily Arctic Sea Ice Extent Images are of fine resolution (at 2.25 km) than any available product for the Arctic region and are disseminated at the VEDAS (Visualization of Earth observation Data and Archival System) portal of SAC from 2016 onwards.