Measurement Sea_ice_thickness

ice thickness can measured in various ways, directly taking ice core , measuring or more efficient satellite measurements. measurements of ice depth below waterline (or draft) submarine sonar or radar systems can give estimates of ice thickness provided there isn t snow (which less dense ice) on top.

sea ice freeboard difference between height of surface of sea ice , water in open leads. since 7/8ths of ice below waterline, computation of thickness simple, accurate measurement of ice freeboard hindered several factors including snow cover, , modeling of data being improved.

satellites

the ice, cloud, , land elevation satellite (icesat), measured ice sheet mass balance, cloud , aerosol heights, , land topography , vegetation characteristics, active service period february 2003 october 2009.

the european space agency soil moisture , ocean salinity satellite (smos) mission first orbit mission measure salinity of earth’s surface , able show data through clouds , during darkness.

the sea ice volume calculated pan-arctic ice ocean modeling , assimilation system (piomas).

other methods

the e-m bird ice thickness meter, designed alfred wegener institute polar , marine research, carried aloft helicopter , measures ice thickness combination of pair of inductance coils measure ice-water interface based inductance variations—similar metal detector—and laser altimeter measures ice surface. used on small scale in 2007 supplement microwave radiometer measurements during pol-ice campaign , on larger scale during greenice (greenland arctic shelf ice , climate experiment) campaign conducted in 2004 , 2005.