On the classification of melt season first-year and multi-year sea ice in the Beaufort Sea using Radarsat-2 data

Interpreting satellite microwave sea ice data during the melt season is difficult. Warm temperatures allow for a greater presence of water in the liquid phase at the surface and within the ice, resulting in similar backscattering responses for first-year ice (FYI) and multi-year ice (MYI). Differentiating these ice types is important, especially during summer, in view of the higher presence of seasonal marine traffic, functioning of the ecosystem, and the Inuit use of the marine icescape in summer. In this article, we investigate the similarities between geophysical, thermodynamic, and dielectric characteristics of the late-season MYI and FYI, and discuss how this can lead to a false detection of MYI. The study uses Radarsat-2 data for ice detection during summer. This involves an analysis of co-polarization versus cross-polarization (HH vs. HV), various incident angles (20°, 35°, and 45°), and ice types (FYI vs. MYI). Statistical analyses of the measurements obtained in 2009 identify the difficulty in differentiating ice types during summer. The results show that the physical and electromagnetic properties of the ice surfaces are virtually identical with few differences in the scattering of microwave energy. We conclude with suggestions on how a more effective differentiation of MYI and FYI types in the summer season can be accomplished.