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Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing, 27, No. 2(2001), 143-158

SEASONAL CHANGES IN SUBARCTIC WETLANDS AND RIVER ICE BREAKUP DETECTABLE ON RADARSAT IMAGES, 
SOUTHERN HUDSON BAY LOWLAND, ONTARIO, CANADA

M.A. MURPHY, I.P. MARTINI and R. PROTZ

Department of Land Resource Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2Wl

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image_68.jpg (445095 ×Ö½Ú)The objectives of this research were: to analyze the backscatter response of RADARSAT to seasonal changes in wetlands of southern Hudson Bay Lowland, northern Ontario, and to evaluate the potential of RADARSAT images to monitor and perhaps predict ice-cover breakup of the upper estuarine reaches of the Moose River. Six Standard- Mode images from May to November 1996 were analyzed for the first objective. They show that seasonal changes in moisture and surficial roughness, such as that associated with uneven snow cover in treed areas, influenced back scatter more than incidence angle. Backscatter increased from May to a June peak, and consistently decreased from August to November. Five 1997 Fine-Mode images were used for the second objective, bridging the May 1 river-ice-cover break- up. Backscatter from the ice cover decreased 2 to 4 dB from three weeks prior to just before break-up. Visually, the images record the progressive fracturing and shearing of the ice cover; formation of leads, ice-push ridges, and the gradual change in ice characteristics indicating increased wetness due either to melting or fluvial-water flooding.

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