1 IICWG, October 2007

RCM Capabilities for Ice & Sea-Ice Applications

IICWG …

G. Séguin, R. Girard, Y.Crevier

2 IICWG, October 2007

Outline

• RCM Requirements

• Mission Design Process

• System Requirements

• Ice and Sea-Ice User Requirements

• RCM capabilities for Ice and Sea-Ice

• Conclusion

3 IICWG, October 2007

RCM Requirements

• Key Requirements: • Continuity of C-band SAR data for main RADARSAT Operational Users.• Average Daily Revisit of Canada (read Northern hemisphere)• Improved System Reliability • Initial requirements were provided in 2003 by DND, DFO, TC and EC-CIS.

Ship Surveillance Pollution Surveillance Sea Ice & Ice Cover

4 IICWG, October 2007

Mission Design ProcessMission Requirements Document Process

Users,Stakeholders,International

Partners

SystemRequirementsSpecificationsReconciliation

Meetings

UserRequirements

Document

MissionRequirements

Document

User WorkingGroup

Meetings

SystemRequirements

Analysis

Missions and ImagingRequirements

Analysis

Data PolicyEO

Regulations

•Key Mission Documents were produced in collaboration with users and industry.

•Seven meetings were held with the users to arrive at the final version of URD and MRD at end of Phase A

6 IICWG, October 2007

Meeting Mission Requirements

Mission Requirements were translated from the User Requirements Document by CSA experts:

• Three satellites• Average daily coverage of Canadian waters and

regular land coverage• Average daily global access• Data analyzed in near real time for operational

applications• 2 to 4-day Coherent Change Detection using

SAR interferometry • Dual polarization data capability, with

experimental quad pol• Gradual implementation with launches every 15

months• Ground Segment Interoperable with Sentinel-1

(Goal).

RADARSAT Constellation daily coverage

RADARSAT-1 or 2 daily coverage

8 IICWG, October 2007

Schedule

Jun 05 Apr 08 Jul 09 Apr 11

Jun 13Sep 14

Dec 15

9 IICWG, October 2007

WINDOIL SPILL

Ice and Maritime Applications

SEA ICE

• Main operational applications for RCM.• Large area to monitor

• Coverage of Maritime Approach of Canada up to 1200 nm

• Short Data Latency (10 minute to 3 hours)

• Seasonal coverage (winter vs summer)

SHIPS

11 IICWG, October 2007

Ice Requirements

• CIS was strongly involved in requirement definition process, ensuring that their needs were properly formulated.

• Beam modes were designed and tested to make sure that final products would be satisfactory.

12 IICWG, October 2007

Compliance to Ice RequirementsApplication Section

Required /Desired?

Requirement Status Comments

Data Requirements 3.2.2 R Resolution of 100m, NESZ near -25dB CIceberg Detection 3.2.2 D Determining the precise location of each

iceberg is important. Physical dimensions of each iceberg are of secondary importance.

PC Small icebergs can be detected with the high resolution modes, but only over limited swaths. If a wide swath is needed, then the resulting modes are only capable of detecting the large icebergs.

Ice Detection Accuracy 3.2.3 R Ice features must be located accurately, to about a few hundred metres.

C Excludes small icebergs that are not detectable by the chosen mode.

Inland Lake Coverage 3.2.3 R Inland lakes north of 40N must be covered during the seasons during which ice is forming and breaking up.

C

R Coverage of entire area (Figure 3) is required once a week.

C

R Intensive monitoring of seasonal CIS regions demands coverage once a day.

C System can provide daily coverage "on average" in Medium Resolution mode or Ice Detection mode.

Iceberg Monitoring 3.2.4 R For iceberg monitoring, daily coverage of the east coast of Canada south of 60N is required year round. In Alaska, coverage of Prince William Sound is required daily year-round.

C System can provide this daily coverage "on average" over these regions in Medium Resolution mode or Ice Detection mode. Note that these areas have not been taken into account in the current estimates of imaging times. However, adequate imaging time is available.

Inland Lake Repeat Coverage

3.2.4 R Weekly coverage of inland lakes is required.

C

Ice Data Latency - Navigation

3.2.5 R For navigation support, imagery must be available within 1 hour of satellite over-flight.

PC System requirement is for 2 hours between Acquisition and Downlink, plus another 15 minutes from Downlink to Delivery. However, the System design can satisfy the 1-hour requirement for acquisitions within ground station masks.

Ice Data Latency - Inland

3.2.5 R Up to 12 hours is acceptable C

Marine Winds Coverage

3.3.4 D As often as possible, ideally up to 4 times a day

PC Coverage varies from once per day to more in the north. It is assumed that Medium Resolution mode is acceptable for Marine Winds.

Marine Winds Latency 3.3.5 D Within 1 hour of acquisition. Still useful after 6 hours.

PC System requirement is for 2 hours + 15 minutes latency. The System design can satisfy the 1-hour requirement for acquisitions within ground station masks.

CIS Repeat Coverage 3.2.4

Ice Monitoring

13 IICWG, October 2007

Beam Modes for Ice Applications

• Medium Resolution “50-meter” mode• Intended for general purpose maritime surveillance

including ship detection, ice monitoring, and ISTOP. • 4 range looks, 50 m resolution• NESZ of –22 dB • 350 km swath• 500 km accessible swath

• “Specialized variants” on Medium Resolution Mode

• Low Noise mode intended for ice applications• 100 m resolution and –25 dB NESZ, 4 range looks and 2

azimuth looks

18 IICWG, October 2007

Conflicts with other applications

When there is no conflict, dedicated mode can be used  Ship detection: ~80% of the areas of interest can be

imaged using a dedicated mode when desired;  CIS: ~30% of the areas of interest can be imaged using

a dedicated mode when desired;  ISTOP: 100% of the areas of interest can be imaged

using the dedicated mode, since the compromise mode is also the mode most suited to pollution detection.

If there is a conflict the medium resolution mode will be used.

19 IICWG, October 2007

Conclusions• Ice monitoring is one of the main operational

applications for RCM. • Needs of Ice Monitoring community have included

early in the RCM requirements. • System design has carefully been taylored to ensure

compliance to ice monitoring requirements. • New system will offer improved revisit and similar

data quality as RADARSAT. • Data latency will be much improved.