Sea ice in both the Arctic and Antarctic is undergoing significant changes, with implications for ecosystems, ocean dynamics, and global climate. In this seminar, I will discuss remote sensing techniques to study sea ice processes across both hemispheres. Using a multi-sensor approach that integrates altimetry (ICESat-2 and airborne lidar), and optical, multispectral and hyperspectral imagery (e.g., MODIS, Sentinel-2, WorldView, Planet), we explore key properties such as surface type, melt pond evolution, floe size distribution, and marginal ice zone characteristics. New high-resolution sensors and data fusion techniques are enabling improved surface classification and freeboard estimation, particularly during the summer melt season when traditional algorithms struggle. These methods are especially valuable in regions where field measurements are sparse or unsafe due to dynamic or degraded ice conditions. As the physical structure and spatial extent of sea ice continue to degrade, remote sensing provides insight into its basin-wide evolution and supports the development of new model parameterizations for forecasting polar change.

*Refreshments: 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM (Atrium)