Airborne Lidar and Radar Measurments In and Around Greenland CryoVEx 2006

This report describes the airborne part of the fieldwork performed as part of the CryoSat Validation Experiment (CryoVEx) 2006 and the processing of the collected dataset. The airborne part of the campaign was carried out by the Danish National Space Center (DNSC) using a Twin-Otter chartered from Air Greenland.

The main purpose was to collect coincident ASIRAS and laser data at validation sites placed on land ice and sea ice in the Arctic area and offer logistic support to ground teams. The data collected will be important for the understanding of CryoSat-2 radar signals. A number of overflights of corner reflectors both on sea ice and inland ice will aid this understanding and serve the calibration of ASIRAS.

The airborne part of the CryoVEx 2006 campaign has successfully been carried out by DNSC during the period April 18 to May 18 and the gathered datasets are now stored and secured at DNSC and the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI). Since then an intensive collaboration between ESA, AWI and DNSC have ensured a solid processing of data where many minor and major problems have been identified and solved.

Different investigations of the ASIRAS datation have also been performed and are discussed in the report. A description of the airborne system, the campaign, and the processing is given together with a short description of each validation site. This should aid the user in the understanding and correct use of the dataset.