The detection and monitoring of sea ice conditions is of vital importance to ships operating

at higher latitudes. Icebergs, calved off ice shelves, and ice floes can pose a danger to ship operations, while the growth and extent of pack ice can impact fleet and support functions. In addition, sonar performance is degraded at the edges of and under ice fields, as sound is scattered and reduced in strength by the ice.

Distinguishing sea ice from clouds or snow-covered terrain is a primary problem in interpret-ing satellite imagery. In visual imagery, sea ice often has a granular structure, and leads of open water are frequently observed within ice fields. Fields of sea ice are also relatively conservative.

That is, they do not change much from day to day. Clouds, on the other hand, seldom retain the same shape or remain in the same location for more than a few hours. Knowledge of the geography and climatology of a region is most helpful in identifying areas of sea ice,

Navy Tactical Applications Guide, Volume 2, Environmental Phenomena and Effects, Tactical Applications Department, Navy Environmental Prediction Research Facility, Monterey, Calif., January 1979.

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