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ISSN 2070-7401 (Print), ISSN 2411-0280 (Online)
Sovremennye problemy distantsionnogo zondirovaniya Zemli iz kosmosa
CURRENT PROBLEMS IN REMOTE SENSING OF THE EARTH FROM SPACE

  

Sovremennye problemy distantsionnogo zondirovaniya Zemli iz kosmosa, 2026, V. 23, No. 5, pp. 363-381

Dependence of polarimetric sea ice parameters on ice ridge concentration according to ALOS-1 satellite data

E.V. Afanasyeva 1, 2 , D.M. Ermakov 2 , J.V. Sokolova 2 
1 Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, Saint Petersburg, Russia
2 Space Research Institute RAS, Moscow, Russia
Accepted: 31.08.2026
DOI: 10.21046/2070-7401-2026-23-5-363-381
SAR data from satellites is often the primary source of information about ice cover in the Arctic Ocean. It has previously been established that radar polarimetry provides additional capabilities for detection and classification of ice objects in radar images. Currently, the C-band is most widely used for sea ice observations. However, it is known that ridged ice areas are more successfully determined using L-band data due to the longer wavelength. The paper examines the possibility of using L-band for ridged ice areas detection as well as ice ridge concentration assessment. Using 7 ALOS-1 images acquired over the Vilkitsky Strait region, it is shown that the ice backscatter coefficient gradually increases with increasing number of ice ridges per unit area of the ice cover. In order to analyze the mechanism of radar backscatter formed by ice with various ice ridge concentrations, polarimetric decompositions have been performed using the Cloude–Pottier and Freeman–Durden approaches. The Cloude–Pottier method showed a predominance of low entropy surface scattering. The Freeman–Durden method showed the dominance of surface scattering component over the entire ice cover area with an increase in volume scattering over ridged ice. The dihedral scattering component is always the lowest and almost unaffected by the number of ice ridges. It is noted that individual observations can differ significantly from the described average representation due to differences in the physical properties of sea ice throughout the Arctic Ocean.
Keywords: sea ice, ice ridge concentration, radar polarimetry, SAR, L-band
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