Brief Communication: Mesoscale and submesoscale dynamics in the marginal ice zone from sequential synthetic aperture radar observations
Igor Kozlov, Evgeny Plotnikov, Georgy E. Manucharyan
Abstract
Abstract. New possibilities for horizontal current retrieval in marginal ice zones (MIZs) from sequential Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images are demonstrated. Daily overlapping SAR acquisitions within 70–85∘ S/N at time intervals < 1 h enable estimation of high-resolution velocity fields, revealing MIZ dynamics down to submesoscales. An example taken from the Fram Strait MIZ reveals energetic eddies and filaments with Rossby numbers reaching O(1) magnitudes. The SAR-derived velocity estimations at such high spatial resolution can be critical for monitoring the evolving MIZ dynamics and model validation of submesoscale processes in polar oceans.
Topics & Concepts
GeologyMesoscale meteorologyEddyRadarSynthetic aperture radarPolarDynamics (music)Remote sensingClimatologyMeteorologyGeodesyTurbulenceGeographyPhysicsComputer scienceAcousticsAstronomyTelecommunicationsArctic and Antarctic ice dynamicsOceanographic and Atmospheric ProcessesMethane Hydrates and Related Phenomena