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Article summary:
1. Fully polarimetric (FP) SAR data can be used to retrieve information about sea ice that cannot be retrieved using single- or dual-polarization SAR.
2. A set of backscatter and PDP parameters from RADARSAT-2 FP observations can be linked to full thickness range of lake ice and thickness of thin (<30 cm thick) landfast sea ice.
3. A color-composite scheme, called Scat-SeaIce, combining the aforementioned parameters has been developed to facilitate the analysis of sea ice types in an operational environment.
Article analysis:
The article “Observations from C-Band SAR Fully Polarimetric Parameters of Mobile Sea Ice Based on Radar Scattering Mechanisms to Support Operational Sea Ice Monitoring” is a well written and informative piece that provides a comprehensive overview of the use of fully polarimetric (FP) SAR data for retrieving information about sea ice. The article is based on research conducted in the Resolute Passage near Barrow Strait in the Canadian High Arctic, where 31 RADARSAT-2 Fine Quad Wide (FQW) acquisitions were obtained during September-December 2017 period.
The article presents a detailed description of three sets of parameters derived from FP mode measurements; backscatter coefficients, polarimetric discriminators, and polarimetric decomposition parameters (PDP). It also explains how these parameters can be used to identify different age-based and surface-based ice types by their dominant scattering mechanism(s). Furthermore, it introduces a color-composite scheme called Scat-SeaIce which combines these parameters to facilitate visual analysis in an operational environment.
The article is reliable and trustworthy as it is based on extensive research conducted in the field with real data collected from RADARSAT-2 FQW acquisitions over the study area. The authors have provided detailed explanations for each parameter discussed in the article as well as links between physical properties of certain ice types and their respective scattering mechanisms. Additionally, they have presented case studies to demonstrate how the proposed color scheme can be used for identifying different types of sea ice.
However, there are some points that could have been explored further such as potential biases associated with using only one type of sensor (RADARSAT-2 FQW), possible risks associated with relying solely on visual analysis for operational sea ice monitoring, and unexplored counterarguments regarding the use of PDPs