Observing sea ice concentration in the caspian sea using MSG SEVIRI data

According to Rodionov 1998 and Kouraev et al. 2005, sea ice extent in

the Caspian sea has followed a downward linear trend in the second

half of the 20th century. Rise in global mean temperatures are

believed to be impacting sea ice in this manner. This type of change

can have irreversible impacts on the ecosystem of the Caspian sea and

therefore need to be continually monitored. Passive microwave sensors

have been used primarily for retrieving images of sea ice from

satellites. Passive microwave sensors are a favored method because

they are able to penetrate clouds and are weather independent.

Passive microwave sensors have a higher spatial resolution and

therefore are efficient at monitoring large regions of sea ice whereas

visible and infrared sensors are better at monitoring smaller regions

of sea ice due to their finer spatial resolution. In this study

instantaneous images were analyzed using MSG SEVIRI to observe sea ice

concentration in the Caspian sea during the winter seasons of 2007 and

2008. Using the visible and infrared bands of MSG SEVIRI, steps were

taken to discriminate between clouds, water and ice in the images. An

attempt was made to predict sea ice concentration on days where clouds

were present. To validate results, predictions were compared to daily

IMS maps provided by NOAA.