24/04/2026
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As sea ice continues to succumb to the local weather disaster, measuring its decline with precision has by no means been extra pressing. To fulfill this problem, the European House Company is creating three new Copernicus satellites, every using distinct however complementary strategies to watch this fragile element of the Earth system.
To make sure the info from these new satellites are razor-sharp, a global group of hardy scientists is now out on the Arctic sea ice braving the chilly and flying above to gather crucial in situ measurements.
The Copernicus Growth Missions Sea Ice Experiment focuses on three upcoming missions: Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer (CIMR), Copernicus Polar Ice and Snow Topography Altimeter (CRISTAL) and Copernicus Radar Observing System for Europe at L-band (ROSE-L).
These are three of six Copernicus Sentinel Growth missions that ESA is constructing for Copernicus – the Earth commentary element of the European Union’s House programme. Utilizing completely different observing strategies and addressing a broad vary of functions, this new suite of six missions will reply to EU coverage priorities and gaps in Copernicus consumer wants, and broaden the present capabilities of the present Sentinel missions.
Constructing state-of-the-art satellites can’t be achieved by way of scientific research, laboratory experiments or engineering work in cleanrooms alone. It additionally requires area campaigns, the place scientists and engineers take a look at airborne and ground-based variations of satellite tv for pc devices underneath actual environmental situations to validate measurement strategies, assess instrument efficiency and refine retrieval algorithms.
These area campaigns present a crucial bridge between instrument design and a satellite tv for pc working completely in house, even when a brand new measuring instrument relies on confirmed heritage missions.
By gathering observations within the area and evaluating them with airborne measurements and current satellite tv for pc knowledge, researchers can calibrate sensors, enhance knowledge merchandise and scale back uncertainties earlier than launch.
For the CIMR, CRISTAL and ROSE-L missions, which every measure sea ice properties, amongst different variables, in several methods, this groundwork is particularly essential.
Properties comparable to snow depth and snow salinity, ice thickness and floor roughness are all a part of the Earth system and are altering quickly within the polar areas in response to the local weather disaster – and these essential parameters stay difficult to measure precisely from house.
This is the reason scientists from quite a few institutes together with, for instance, the College of Calgary, the Technical College of Denmark, the Alfred Wegener Institute, NASA and ESA are at the moment out within the Arctic for the six-week Copernicus Growth Missions Sea Ice Experiment.
By means of coordinated measurements on the ice and from the air, the groups are gathering crucial knowledge to enhance CIMR, CRISTAL and ROSE-L’s retrieval strategies and assist guarantee these essential upcoming satellites ship correct and dependable observations of the polar atmosphere.
This sort of area marketing campaign isn’t for the faint hearted – it’s a particularly harsh atmosphere, and changeable. Primarily based largely in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, within the Canadian Arctic, the hardy scientists concerned are having to move out onto the ocean ice and courageous freezing temperatures, fierce winds and really lengthy days.
Devices have needed to be put in on the ocean ice to take coordinated measurements with plane flying above – and the place attainable, these plane underneath fly satellites comparable to ESA’s CryoSat, Copernicus Sentinel-3 and NASA’s ICESat orbiting above.
As well as, helicopters are getting used to move groups and tools to the extra distant measurement goal websites.
ESA Marketing campaign Scientist, Tania Casal, mentioned, “The marketing campaign is a significant endeavor, involving a big group of devoted and extremely pushed scientists. The setup builds on the profitable Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Research of Arctic Local weather MOSAiC experiment, adapting the framework for a brand new and equally bold goal.”
This marketing campaign focuses on first-year sea ice, particularly situations the place saline layers stay preserved on the base of the snow layer – an essential however poorly noticed characteristic influencing microwave scattering, snow–ice interactions and satellite tv for pc retrieval performances.
Not like MOSAiC which set on drifting sea ice, the purpose right here is to take measurements in a secure ice setting the place ice movement wouldn’t intrude with repeated observations and managed experiments.
Because of this, Cambridge Bay offers a great location, providing consultant first-year ice along with logistical accessibility.
Dr Casal continued, “We’re gathering an exceptionally complete suite of measurements, integrating intensive ground-based and airborne observations throughout satellite tv for pc overpasses. Floor observations embody scatterometer measurements, snow pit surveys, magna probe transects, snow micro pen profiles and quite a few complementary geophysical and snow characterisation strategies.
“These in situ datasets are being paired with airborne observations from laser and radar altimeters, snow radars and electromagnetic methods, offering detailed data on snow depth, ice thickness, floor roughness, and subsurface construction.
“Crucially, these measurements are being acquired beneath the bottom tracks of CryoSat, ICESat-2, and Sentinel-3, for instance, enabling direct comparability between area observations, airborne distant sensing and satellite tv for pc retrievals.”
By linking measurements made on the bottom, from plane and from house, the marketing campaign helps to sharpen the efficiency of CIMR, CRISTAL and ROSE-L earlier than they’re launched, lowering uncertainties and strengthening confidence within the knowledge they are going to ship.
