Oceansat-MSMR imaging of the Antarctic and the southern polar ocean

This paper highlights preliminary results from the analysis of the first year's data from the multi-channel scanning microwave radiometer (MSMR) onboard India's Oceansat-1 satellite, over the climatologically and geologically important Antarctic and Southern Ocean regions. Weekly averaged microwave brightness temperature images formed using the MSMR data clearly demarcated open water and sea ice regions. Different levels of ice concentration also showed up as different brightness temperature values. Signatures of several large and prominent continental features like the Trans-Antarctic Mountain ranges, Gamburtsev sub-glacial mountain, Wilkes and Aurora sub-glacial basins and the Ross Ice Shelf were seen in these images. Some quasi-circular coastal 'eddy' like features were also observed in sea ice regions off the eastern Antarctic coast. These studies reveal the potential of Oceansat-MSMR for long term monitoring of the polar regions of the Earth