Monitoring lake ice during spring melt using RADARSAT-2 SAR

Multipolarized RADARSAT-2 SAR imagery is used to monitor lake ice during the spring melt period. The study area is Old Crow Flats, Yukon, in the Canadian Arctic. HH and HV backscatter from lake ice is shown to have significant temporal variability and interlake diversity. Backscatter thresholds are statistically estimated to discriminate decaying lake ice from open water. A classification methodology is described that uses a HH backscatter threshold to identify initial break-up and a HV backscatter threshold for the main period of break-up. Classification accuracies are >81% ((K) over cap = 0.189) prior to initial break-up and 66%-97% ((K) over cap = 0.353-0.868) during break-up. This study demonstrates the potential of RADARSAT-2 imagery and, by extension, other C-band SAR satellites, to provide lake ice break-up information in support of monitoring and reporting requirements, subsequent decision-making, and scientific tasks for the Government of Canada.