SeaSat Scatterometer observations of sea ice

SeaSat I Scatterometer data collected over the Beaufort Sea are analyzed and compared with a simple theoretical model that includes surface roughness and volume scattering. The values of the root-mean-square surface slope of roughness and the volume scattering albedo are adjusted to fit the data. With qualifications imposed on the theoretical assumptions, the data are well-modeled by the two parameters, and the sensor offers a means to monitor the statistical properties of sea ice in existing satellite scatterometers experiments, such as the European Remote Sensing Satellite and the NSCAT on the Japanese ADEOS I Spacecraft.