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Physical Oceanography Seminar: Dr. Aikaterini (Katia) Tavri

Friday, October 10, 2025 10:30–11:30 AM
  • Location
    Narragansett Bay Campus, Corless Auditorium (Watkins Laboratory)
  • Description
    Title: Observing Sea Ice from Space: What do Microwave Sensors Reveal About Surface Processes?



    Speaker: Dr. Aikaterini (Katia) Tavri, Brown University



    Abstract: Microwave sensors enable continuous observation of the polar regions, operating day and night and through cloud cover when optical satellites are limited. They reveal how sea ice surface properties--such as roughness, snow cover, and melt ponds--govern the exchange of heat and momentum between the ocean and atmosphere. Yet the melt season remains a major challenge: thin ice and widespread ponding blur the distinction between young and old ice types, reducing the reliability of long-term climate records. In this study, we examine thermodynamically grown first-year and multi-year ice, within a landfast region in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, where the same floes can be tracked from late winter through advanced melt without the complication of ice motion. Using multi-frequency and multi-polarization microwave observations, we show that shorter wavelengths are better capturing surface scattering as melt ponds first form, while longer wavelengths are sensitive to volumetric contrasts and perform better as ponds drain. These results demonstrate how microwave observations encode the physics of melt-season transitions, extend the period over which satellites can reliably monitor sea ice, and provide new opportunities to improve climate records and predictions of sea ice evolution
  • Website
    https://events.uri.edu/event/physical-oceanography-seminar-dr-aikaterini-katia-tavri
  • Categories
    Lectures / Presentations

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