Radar backscattering characteristics of Arctic Sea ice based on Okean data

Based on Okean no. 7 and no. 8 radar data temporal (seasonal) dependences o f the values of the specific effective scattering cross section (SESCS) for multiyear and first-year ice for various viewing angles are obtained for r egions of the Barents and Kara Seas over the period from October 1995 to Ja nuary 1997. Analysis of the dependences obtained leads us to infer a possibility of rel iable classification of the fields of multiyear and first-year ice over the whole annual cycle from Okean radar imagery (except for a short period fro m June to July in the Barents Sea region). The difference between the SESCS values for multiyear and first-year ice amounts to 4-8 dB.