[17-Nov-2015] Carballo, F., Masuelli, S., Salgado, H., Labanda, M., and Barreira, S.
Presented at the 2015 Aquarius/SAC-D Science Team MeetingSea ice cover is the most important feature of the polar ocean environment and plays a key role in the balance of energy exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere, significantly involved in global climate change. Satellites provide an adequate tool for sea ice monitoring and mapping. In particular, microwave sensors provide information about floating ice coverage, regardless of cloud and light conditions, limiting factors in Polar Regions. Brightness temperatures differences are used to map the concentration and type of sea ice (SI). SI extension and concentration polar maps were generated using data from the SAC-D Microwave Radiometer (MWR), which captures emissivity of the surface at frequencies of 36.5 GHz (Polarization H and V) and 23.8 GHz (H Polarization). Weekly MWR SI concentration data were compared with those from other sources (AMSR2, SSMIS, SSMR and SSM-I) along year 2013, obtaining adjustments r2 = 0.7 and RMSE = 13% approximately. Achieved results encourage continuing studies and processes of MWR data, which will contribute to better understanding of the sea ice spatial and temporal variability and its relationship to global climate change.