Impact of surface conditions on thin sea ice concentration estimate from passive microwave observations

Abstract Ice concentration retrieved from spaceborne passive microwave observations is a prime input to operational sea ice monitoring programs, numerical weather prediction and global climate models. However, it is usually underestimated by existing algorithms due to surface conditions, especially in case of young ice types. Evaluation of those algorithms identifies errors in concentration estimates but does not necessarily link them to the adverse surface conditions. The present study is an attempt to establish those links for young ice (

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