January 18 1993

The SSM/I image shows, that open water areas are present in the upper part and in lower right corner of the image.
In the SAR image, the upper open water area is easy recognized, but in the lower right corner, it is more difficult. A big very dark area is seen, and to the right of this, a few brighter strips are present. These strips are probably open water. The water strips are brighter than the dark area, and therefore the dark area is interpreted to be either grease ice, very thin new ice or open water with very little wind influence. From the wind measurements at Jan Mayen it is known, that the average wind speed on 18 January is 5m/s, and with this low wind, open water can have a dark signature.
In the central part of the image, a grey background with dark circular patterns is seen. The grey background is probably a dense concentration of pancake ice, while the dark patterns probably are new ice. The circular shapes are probably created by ocean currents, which perhaps are caused by convection. By comparing the SSM/I images from January 18 and January 16 it is seen, that new ice is formed in the area.