We review the importance of iceberg monitoring and the current status
of iceberg detection methods using spaceborne synthetic aperture radar
, and describe the newly developed iceberg detection subsystem of the
Ice Pilot Application Project sea ice system. Validation against in si
tu data from the European high Arctic and the North Atlantic near Newf
oundland suggests that the subsystem is able to detect about half of a
ll icebergs between 15 and 60 m across, and virtually all icebergs lar
ger than 120 m across, under calm, sea-ice-free conditions.