Antarctic iceberg sizes and spatial distribution from SAR image analysis - Map

Icebergs are identified in Synthetic Aperture Radar [SAR] images by image analysis using the texture and intensity of the microwave backscatter observations. The images are segmented using an edge detecting algorithm, and segments identified as iceberg or background, which may be sea ice, open water, or a mixture of both.

Dimensions of the icebergs are derived by spatial analysis of the corresponding image segments. Location of the iceberg is derived from its position within the image and the navigation data that gives the location and orientation of the image. More than 20,000 individual observations have been extracted from SAR images acquired by the European Space Agency's ERS-1 and 2 satellites and the Canadian Space Agency's Radarsat satellite.