A robust threshold retracking algorithm for measuring ice-sheet surface elevation change from satellite radar altimeters
- Univ. of Missouri, Kansas City, MO (United States). Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering
A threshold retracking algorithm for processing ice-sheet altimeter data is presented. The primary purpose for developing this algorithm is detection of ice-sheet elevation change, where it is critical that a retracking algorithm produce repeatable elevations. The more consistent an algorithm is in selecting the retracking point the less likely that errors and/or biases will be introduced by the retracking scheme in the elevation-change measurement. The authors performed extensive comparisons between the threshold algorithm and two other widely used ice-sheet retracking algorithms on Geosat datasets comprised of over 60,000 crossover points. The results show that the threshold retracking algorithm, with a 10% threshold level, produces ice-sheet surface elevations that are more repeatable than the elevations derived from the other retracking algorithms. For this reason, the threshold retracking algorithm has been adopted by NASA/GSFC as an alternative to their existing algorithm for production of ice-sheet altimeter datasets under the NASA Pathfinder program. The threshold algorithm will be used to re-process existing ice-sheet altimeter datasets and to process the datasets from future altimeter missions.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 524723
- Journal Information:
- IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Vol. 35, Issue 4; Other Information: PBD: Jul 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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