Developing RADARSAT's METOC Capabilities in Support of Project Polar Epsilon
Abstract
The Polar Epsilon project will use Canada's RADARSAT satellites to expand the Canadian Forces' space-based ship and oil spill detection capabilities in the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. RADARSAT's ability to detect ships and oil, however, is influenced by surface winds, waves and currents. As existing sources of meteorological and oceanographic data are too coarse in spatial resolution or too removed in time, this report investigates the feasibility of deriving such information from the RADARSAT imagery itself to conduct a rapid environmental assessment (REA) of(i) minimum detectable ship size and (ii) probability of oil spill false detection. The report also investigates methods to overcome limitations in Canadian Forces' deployed ocean observing infrastructure, which are required to develop and demonstrate spacebased REA products, by using civilian ocean observing systems. In addition, as a means of decreasing limitations inherent in space-based synthetic aperture radar and ocean colour sensors used by Polar Epsilon (i.e. RADARSAT and MODIS), the report identifies and discusses meteorological and oceanographic features of military interest that may be detected by both types of sensors.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA443211
Entities
People
- A. C. Thomas
- B. G. Whitehouse
- P. W. Vachon
- Robert J. Quinn
Organizations
- Defence Research and Development Canada