2) , Tommy S-Andreassen (2) , Harvey Goodwin (3) , and Kim Partington (4) (1) Nansen Center (NERSC), E.Griegsv.3A, N-5059 Bergen, Norway. kjell@nersc.no, Stein@nersc.no (2) Norwegian Meteorological Institute, N-9293 Tromsø, Norway. Helge.Tangen@met.no, Tommy@met.no (3) Norwegian Polar Institute, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway, Harvey Goodwin@npolar.no (4) Vexcel UK Limited, Newbury, Berkshire RG20 0BP ABSTRACT Sea ice mapping has been significantly improved during the last decade by introduction of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. SAR sea ice mapping started with the ERS programme and continued with RADARSAT providing ScanSAR images with operational monitoring capability. From 2003 ENVISAT Advanced SAR (ASAR) images have started to be produced over sea ice areas in the European Arctic and the Baltic Sea. This paper shows preliminary results of case studies with ASAR Wideswath Mode images in the Svalbard area. The case studies include the Svalbard area in winter and spring time where different stages of ice formation werestudied by use of ASAR images and validated by aerial photographs. The Fram Strait ice drift and area flux has been investigated using consecutive wideswath SAR images. The case studies were performed as preparation for new operational ice monitoring products in the ICEMON project which is one of the European Space Agency's service consolidation actions in Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES).