OPERATIONAL USE OF ERS-1 SAR IMAGES IN THE CANADIAN ICE MONITORING PROGRAM

ERS-1 SAR images have been used to monitor sea ice in the Canadian eas t coast and the Gulf of St. Lawrence since December 1992. Operational ice parameters were obtained, in near real-time, through visual image analysis. The information was incorporated in standard daily operation al products. Further analysis was conducted later to evaluate the data utility. The images are remarkably useful in discriminating between n ew ice and water and in delineating ice edges. Structural information of ice surface is usually smeared. Distinction between young ice and f irst-year ice types, based on backscatter alone, is not reliable. Rule s for image interpretation were developed. They are mainly based on st ructural information in images, ancillary data on weather, and recent and historical ice records. Limitations on data utilization are explai ned in relation to the sensor and orbit parameters. An insight into op erational requirements and their relation to SAR observations is prese nted.