The campaign, made up of a multidisciplinary team, will take place in the Arctic region from January 11 to 28, departing from Cambridge Bay.
An international team led by the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) of Barcelona will carry out, from January 11 to 28, a scientific expedition in the Arctic region to study the evolution of sea ice thickness and the effects of climate change. The starting point of the campaign is the Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS), an infrastructure located in Cambridge Bay (Canada) considered the largest stop for passenger and research ships crossing the Northwest Passage of the Arctic Ocean.
The expedition, part of the ARCTIC-MON project funded by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI), is integrated by a multidisciplinary team of experts from different countries who will work intensively for more than two weeks to collect essential data on the thin layer of sea ice that covers the Arctic regions, which is increasingly affected by climate change.
The scientific team is made up of ICM-CSIC researcher Carolina Gabarró and PhD student Ferran Hernández Macià, who also works with isardSAT, a R&D company that provides solutions for Earth observation. In addition, it counts with the contribution of international researchers Gunnar Spreen, from the University of Bremen (Germany) and Randy Scharien, from the University of Victoria (Canada).
"The data we collect during the campaign will be fundamental to improve the algorithms for measuring sea ice thickness from satellite data, which will result in a better understanding of climate change in the Arctic”, explains Carolina Gabarró, leader of the project.
From his side, Ferran Hernández points out that "with these new algorithms, based on artificial intelligence methods, it will be possible to measure the thickness of sea ice with greater precision and coverage".
ARIEL, the new radiometer to measure the thickness of the ice
An important aspect of this mission is the use of the innovative ARIEL instrument, designed and developed by the Catalan company Microwave Sensors and Electronics (MWSE), which is based in Vilafranca del Penedès. This portable radiometer offers greater versatility and mobility for measuring various surfaces.
This represents a significant technological advance compared to previous sensors, which were heavier and less adaptable. The device will be installed on a sled to measure with high precision the emissivity of the ice as it moves.
All in all, this expedition exemplifies the international collaboration and determination of scientists in researching climate change and its impact on the Arctic.
The ARCTIC-MON project in which the campaign is framed, seeks to demonstrate that the use of data from L-band radiometer satellites (SMOS, SMAP and the future CIMR), in combination with data from other satellites and models, allow improved monitoring of sea ice decline, the impact of river discharge, and study the increase of freshwater to the Arctic Ocean by assessing surface currents, which are key elements for measuring and understanding changes in the Arctic freshwater cycle.