An improved version of the SICE algorithm retrieving snow and ice properties is described in a recently published paper. It includes the introduction of a new atmospheric correction, retrieval of snow impurity load and properties, retrievals for partially snow-covered ground and also accounting for various thresholds to be used to assess the retrieval quality.
The technique can be applied to various optical sensors (satellite and ground-based) operated in the visible and near infrared regions of electromagnetic spectra, but in the context of the SICE project, it was applied to data from the OLCI sensor onboard Sentinel-3.
SICE retrievals have been incorporated into the Danish Meteorological Institutes operational NRT processing, since September 2023.
Discover more about how Copernicus Sentinel-3 proves instrumental in tracking melting land ice from the story published on the Sentinel Success Stories web pages.
Featured image : Abrupt Greenland ice sheet darkening, July 2023. Copyright: ESA SICE project