LEADS Leads are narrow, linear fractures in sea ice formed through dynamical processes.

This detection method has been replaced by an AI based approach. However, more information on the legacy technique is described in The Detection and Characterization of Arctic Sea Ice Leads with Satellite Imagers.

To summarize the methodology, a detection method was designed around a series of image processing tests and a synthetic test pattern of shapes that were designed to mimic shapes.

The above image shows 3 rows of example shapes that were designed to be representative of sea ice leads shapes and the bottom 2 rows are shapes that were designed to be representative of shapes that are not sea ice leads.

The sea ice lead detection and characterization algorithm flowchart is shown below. Each color-coded column corresponds to the steps described in in the text.  Mask code numbers are used in NetCDF output files and the mask code colors form the color table used in the output imagery.