Sea-Ice Sheet Topography Measurement Instruments

Measurements > Snow and Ice > Ice sheet topography > Sea-ice sheet topography
Measurement Definition: Vertical projection of an area covered by ice sheets in meters.
InstrumentStatus/
Accuracy
Instrument DescriptionMeasurement TechnologyTimeline
ASTEROperationalSurface and cloud imaging with high spatial resolution, stereoscopic observation of local topography, cloud heights, volcanic plumes, and generation of local surface digital elevation maps. Surface temperature and emissivity. ASTER SWIR detectors are no longer functioning due to anomalously high SWIR detector temperatures. ASTER SWIR data acquired since April 2008 are not useable, and show saturation of values and severe striping. All attempts to bring the SWIR bands back to life have failed, and no further action is envisioned.n/a
HiRIOperationalCartography, land use, risk, agriculture and forestry, civil planning and mapping, digital terrain models, defence.n/a
PALSAR-2OperationalDisaster monitoring, land monitoring, agricultural monitoring, natural resource exploration, global forest monitoring, potential use and interferometry.n/a
SAR (RADARSAT-2)OperationalAll-weather images of ocean, ice and land surfaces. Used for monitoring of coastal zones, polar ice, sea ice, sea state, geological features, vegetation and land surface processes.n/a
SAR (RCM)OperationalAll-weather, C-band data to support ecosystem monitoring, maritime surveillance and disaster management.n/a
SAR-LOperationalLand, ocean, emergencies, soil moisture, interferometry, others.n/a
SIRALOperationalMarine ice and terrestrial ice sheet thickness measurement.n/a
SRALOperationalMarine and land services.n/a
WSAROperationalHigh resolution radar measurements of land and ocean features.n/a
IRISBeing developedKu-band Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar Altimeter (with added Ka-band channel for snow depth retrieval and in combination with AMR-CR MW Radiometer for ice&snow classification and wet troposphere correction) to cover the needs for continuous monitoring of sea ice thickness and land ice elevation measurement after Cryosat-2, with enhanced performance.n/a
PALSAR-3Being developedDisaster monitoring, land monitoring, agricultural monitoring, natural resource exploration, global forest monitoring, potential use and interferometry.n/a