Abstract:

Antarctic sea ice area is one of key regions, which affect the global climate and environment. Satellite remote sensing is a key polar research tool. During Sept.-Oct. 2003, Australian Antarctic Division organized the program "Satellite Remote Sensing Validation Experiment", which involved considerable international collaboration, to conduct a field campaign onboard the Australian icebreaker R/V Aurora Australis in the East Antarctic seasonal sea ice zone to validate routine AMSR E sea ice geophysical features i.e. concentration, snow cover thickness, and sea ice physical temperature, in the late austral winter to early spring period. The field work is introduced in this paper.