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Published on: June 30, 2020
Automated polar ice thickness estimation from radar imagery
Christopher M Gifford1, Gladys Finyom, Michael Jefferson
1Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA. Chris.Gifford@jhuapl.edu
Summary
Automating polar ice thickness estimation from radar data is crucial for climate change studies. Active contour methods provide more accurate and robust results than edge-based approaches.
Area of Science:
- * Geophysics and Remote Sensing
- * Glaciology and Climate Science
Background:
- * Estimating polar ice thickness is vital for understanding ice sheet volume and contributions to global climate change.
- * Manual methods for ice thickness estimation are time-consuming and require expert interpretation of airborne radar data.
- * Accurate identification of ice surface and bedrock interfaces is essential for reliable thickness calculations.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To automate the estimation of polar ice thickness using airborne radar data.
- * To compare the performance of edge-based and active contour methods for automated ice thickness estimation.
- * To evaluate the accuracy and processing time of automated techniques against manual expert selections.
Main Methods:
- * Development and application of edge-based and active contour algorithms for automated radar data analysis.
- * Processing airborne radar data acquired over Greenland and Antarctica.
- * Quantitative evaluation of automated methods using metrics of processing time and accuracy compared to expert-identified ground truth.
Main Results:
- * Edge-based methods offer faster processing (seconds vs. minutes) but lack continuity and smoothness.
- * Active contour methods demonstrate higher accuracy and robustness to image artifacts compared to expert selections.
- * Both edge-based and active contour approaches have limitations that could be addressed through integration.
Conclusions:
- * Automated ice thickness estimation using active contour methods significantly improves accuracy and robustness.
- * While edge-based methods are faster, active contours are superior for reliable ice thickness calculations.
- * Integrating the advantages of both techniques could lead to a more effective and efficient ice thickness estimation system.
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