Measuring sea-ice concentration and floe-size distribution by image processing

Abstract

A technique for analyzing sea-ice concentration and floe-size distribution by means of image processing is proposed. The sea ice was photographed by video camera from the ship. The technique proposed for analyzing sea-ice images can be applied on line or off line. In on-line analysis, sea-ice images photographed by a video camera are digitized in real time. Ice concentration is calculated by summing ice pixels of each row of a digital image and ice shape can be obtained roughly by a composition of each row. In off-line analysis, sea-ice images recorded to a video recorder are processed. Both ice shape and ice concentration can be obtained accurately by analyzing predetermined square regions of an image. Although the off-line method requires more time to calculate, it is useful for detailed analysis of regional ice properties. Computations of ice concentration and floe-size distribution are performed using images obtained between Breid Bay and Syowa Station in 1988.