Recovery of subglacial water extent from Greenland radar survey data

• Published in: Journal of glaciology Vol. 54; no. 184; pp. 94 - 106
• Main Authors: Oswald, G.K.A., Gogineni, S.P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 2008; International Glaciological Society
• Subjects: Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Snow. Ice. Glaciers; polar regions; Greenland ice sheet; Arctic region; Greenland; PN, Greenland, Greenland Ice Sheet; extension; Ice water interface; morphology; Coherent radar; acceleration; ice sheets; Airborne radar; Observation data; Radar signal processing; Polar region; Lubrication; echo sounding; Radar echo; Subglacial flow; stability
• ISSN: 0022-1430; 1727-5652
• DOI: 10.3189/002214308784409107

Subglacial water threatens the stability of a deep ice sheet. The Greenland ice sheet has been the subject of extensive radar surveys under NASA’s PARCA program and others, yet the extent of basal water has not previously been explored in detail. This paper provides a method for recovering basal radar reflection characteristics that yield robust discrimination of subglacial water, using PARCA data, by narrowing the spread of measured echo intensities. Sources of validation are provided, and they support the procedure and its results. The method can be extended to the entire Greenland radar dataset. It is not dependent on details of radar characteristics but relies on sufficient penetration performance, high-fidelity data acquisition and appropriate treatment of signals and interface statistics.