COMPARISON OF MEASUREMENTS AND THEORY FOR BACKSCATTER FROM BARE AND SNOW-COVERED SALINE ICE

C-band backscatter measurements were made on artificially grown sea ice at the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) during the winters of 1987–1988 and 1988–1989. These measurements were made on smooth, rough, and snow-covered saline ice. The measured σ° (θ) of smooth saline ice (rms height < 0.05 cm) disagreed with small perturbation method (SPM) surface scattering predictions. Using physical parameters of the ice in a simple layer model, we show that this discrepancy can be explained by scattering from beneath the surface. A thin (7-cm) dry snow cover had a significant influence on backscatter from the smooth ice sheet. This influence was due to scattering from particles within the snow and can be predicted by a commonly used empirical layer model for snow. The results of backscatter measurements of a moderately rough saline ice sheet were found to agree with SPM predictions. © 1990 IEEE