Strong Potential for the Detection of Refrozen Ice Layers in Greenland's Firn by Airborne Radar Sounding

Culberg, Riley; Schroeder, Dustin M.

doi:10.1109/igarss39084.2020.9324268

Cited by 6 publications

References 14 publications

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Towards a common terminology in radioglaciology

et al. 2022

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Over the past 70 years, many different components of the cryosphere have been imaged with a variety of radar systems using increasingly sophisticated processing techniques. These systems use various pulse lengths, signal frequencies and, in some cases, modulated signals. The increasing diversity of radar systems has created the potential for confusion due to the use of non-consistent terminology. Here we provide an overview of state-of-the-science radar technologies and suggest a simplified and unified terminology for use by the cryosphere community. We recommend a terminology that is target independent but specifies the characteristics of the signal. Following this recommendation, commercial impulse systems that penetrate the subsurface should be referred to as ground-penetrating radar (GPR), and pulse radars as radio-echo sounding (RES). Continuous-wave (CW) radar systems should be referred to as ground-penetrating CW radars. We further suggest any additional characterisation of the system be expressed using descriptors that specify the platform it is mounted on (e.g. airborne) or the frequency range (e.g. HF (high frequency)) or modulation (e.g. FM (frequency modulated)).

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Towards a common terminology in radioglaciology

et al. 2022

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Shallow Fracture Buffers High Elevation Runoff in Northwest Greenland

Culberg

Chu

Schroeder

2022

Geophysical Research Letters

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Much of the surface of the Greenland Ice Sheet is covered in a porous layer of old snow, known as firn. However, in some areas, surface melt has refrozen to form thick layers of solid ice in the upper few meters of this porous layer. It is generally assumed that once these ice slabs form, the firn can no longer absorb meltwater. Therefore, subsequent surface melt must either flow over the surface into the ocean or drain to the bottom of the ice sheet through cracks, ultimately leading to more mass loss. Here we show that in Northwest Greenland, this is not always the case. Instead, some of this water drains through shallow cracks in the ice slabs and is stored in the remaining porous firn underneath. This reduces immediate mass loss from this region and limits the amount of water that can contribute to speeding up the flow of ice. As a result, even after ice slabs form, the ice sheet may lose mass at a somewhat slower rate than previously assumed.

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Extreme melt season ice layers reduce firn permeability across Greenland

2021

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Surface meltwater runoff dominates present-day mass loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet. In Greenland’s interior, porous firn can limit runoff by retaining meltwater unless perched low-permeability horizons, such as ice slabs, develop and restrict percolation. Recent observations suggest that such horizons might develop rapidly during extreme melt seasons. Here we present radar sounding evidence that an extensive near surface melt layer formed following the extreme melt season in 2012. This layer was still present in 2017 in regions up to 700 m higher in elevation and 160 km further inland than known ice slabs. We find that melt layer formation is driven by local, short-timescale thermal and hydrologic processes in addition to mean climate state. These melt layers reduce vertical percolation pathways, and, under appropriate firn temperature and surface melt conditions, encourage further ice aggregation at their horizon. Therefore, the frequency of extreme melt seasons relative to the rate at which pore space and cold content regenerates above the most recent melt layer may be a key determinant of the firn’s multi-year response to surface melt.

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Strong Potential for the Detection of Refrozen Ice Layers in Greenland's Firn by Airborne Radar Sounding

Cited by 6 publications

References 14 publications

Towards a common terminology in radioglaciology

Towards a common terminology in radioglaciology

Shallow Fracture Buffers High Elevation Runoff in Northwest Greenland

Extreme melt season ice layers reduce firn permeability across Greenland

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