scholarly journals Helicopter-borne radio-echo sounding of Svartisen, Norway

1993 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 23-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Kennett ◽  
Tron Laumann ◽  
Cecilie Lund

A helicopter-mounted low frequency ice-radar has been developed for the depth sounding of temperate glaciers. The radar consists of standard transmitter and digital receiver equipment. The long antennae are supported on a special aluminium and fibreglass construction which hangs 20 m below the helicopter. The radar has been used on Engabreen, an outlet glacier of the Svartisen Ice Cap in northern Norway, where ice thicknesses of up to 350 m were obtained. The results have been used to construct a map of bed topography of the lower part of Engabreen. This map is largely consistent with ice thickness data obtained by drilling.

1993 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 23-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Kennett ◽  
Tron Laumann ◽  
Cecilie Lund

A helicopter-mounted low frequency ice-radar has been developed for the depth sounding of temperate glaciers. The radar consists of standard transmitter and digital receiver equipment. The long antennae are supported on a special aluminium and fibreglass construction which hangs 20 m below the helicopter. The radar has been used on Engabreen, an outlet glacier of the Svartisen Ice Cap in northern Norway, where ice thicknesses of up to 350 m were obtained. The results have been used to construct a map of bed topography of the lower part of Engabreen. This map is largely consistent with ice thickness data obtained by drilling.


Polar Record ◽  
1977 ◽  
Vol 18 (115) ◽  
pp. 375-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Björnsson ◽  
R. L. Ferrari ◽  
K. J. Miller ◽  
G. Owen

This brief report describes the first year of a joint Cambridge University—Iceland University two-year project to develop radio echo depth-sounding apparatus suitable for the temperate ice of the Vatnajökull ice cap. There is much interest in obtaining detailed ice thickness measurements for the 8 400 km2 Vatnajökull area, where only limited ice-depth surveys, using bore-hole and seismxic techniques, have been carried out in the past. A line of volcanic and geothermal activity extends through the western regions of the ice and creates a sub-glacial lake, Grimsvotn, which collapses every five years or so giving rise to the jökulhlaups, a catastrophic flooding which affects considerable areas of the Icelandic coast to the south of Vatnajökull. Proper understanding of the jökulhlaups phenomena can only be achieved if detailed knowledge of ice thickness and related data are available. Established radio echo sounding techniques which have been successfully applied in the polar regions do not work in water-laden ice such as is to be found in the Vatnajökull area.


1999 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 202-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu.Ya. Macheret ◽  
M.Yu. Moskalevsky

AbstractThe results of ground-based radio-echo sounding collected in 1995 and 1996-97 in the drainage basin of Lange Glacier, a tidewater outlet glacier on King George Island, Antarctica, are presented and discussed. Ice-thickness and bedrock-elevation maps, constructed for the upper non-crevassed part of the glacier, show a close relation between its surface and subglacial topography and indicate the main directions of ice runoff from this area where the ice thickness reaches 308 m. A retreat of the glacier front by 1 km since 1956 occurred against a background of climate warming by 1.4°C on the South Shetland Islands during the last five decades, while a neighboring unnamed glacier advanced by 0.6 km and the northern ice-cap margin on King George Island was approximately stationary. To understand the reasons for the different responses of these ice masses to current climate warming in this region of West Antarctica, further studies including mass-balance and ice-velocity observations and numerical modeling are needed.


2009 ◽  
Vol 50 (51) ◽  
pp. 49-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu.Ya. Macheret ◽  
J. Otero ◽  
F.J. Navarro ◽  
E.V. Vasilenko ◽  
M.I. Corcuera ◽  
...  

AbstractWe present the results of low-frequency (20 MHz) radio-echo sounding (RES) carried out in December 2000 and December 2006 on the main ice divides of Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands (SSI), Antarctica, and Bowles Plateau, Antarctica, respectively, as well as high-frequency (200 MHz) RES on the latter, aimed at determining the ice thickness, internal structure and subglacial relief. Typical ice thickness along the main ice divides is ~150 m, reaching maxima of ~200 m. On Bowles Plateau the ice is much thicker, with an average of 265 m and maxima of ~500 m. The bed below the main ice divides is above sea level, while part of the outlet glaciers from Bowles Plateau lies significantly below sea level, down to –120 m. The strong scattering of the radio waves in the areas under study constitutes further evidence that the ice in the accumulation area of the ice masses of the SSI is temperate. Typical thickness of the firn layer in Bowles Plateau is 20–35 m, similar to that found in King George ice cap. A strong internal reflector within the firn layer, interpreted as a tephra layer from the 1970 eruption at Deception Island, has allowed a rough estimate of the specific mass balances for Bowles Plateau within 0.20–0.40ma–1w.e., as average values for the period 1970–2006.


1986 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 156-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arne Chr. Saetrang ◽  
Bjørn Wold

The paper describes instrumentation, navigation methods, and interpretation problems from radio echo-sounding on parts of Jostedalsbreen. A map of the subglacial topography is presented. Ice thickness ranges from 60 m to 600 m with most sections between 150 m and 300 m.


2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (239) ◽  
pp. 436-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
WESLEY VAN WYCHEN ◽  
JAMIE DAVIS ◽  
LUKE COPLAND ◽  
DAVID O. BURGESS ◽  
LAURENCE GRAY ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTFeature tracking of approximately annually separated Landsat-7 ETM+ imagery acquired from 1999 to 2010 and speckle tracking of 24-day separated RADARSAT-2 imagery acquired from 2009 to 2015 reveal that motion of the major tidewater glaciers of Devon Ice Cap is more variable than previously described. The flow of almost half (six of 14) of the outlet glaciers slowed over the observation period, while that of the terminus regions of three of 14 of the glaciers sped up in the most recent years of observation. The North Croker Bay Glacier of southern Devon Ice Cap showed the greatest variability in motion, oscillating between multi-year (three or more) periods of slower and faster flow and exhibited a pattern of velocity variability that is different from that of the rest of the ice cap's outlet glaciers. Comparisons between areas of dynamic variability and glacier bed topography indicate that velocity variability is largely restricted to regions where the glacier bed is grounded below sea level. Derived velocities are combined with measurements of ice thickness at the fronts of tidewater glacier to determine a mean annual (2009; 2011–15) dynamic ice discharge of 0.41 ± 0.11 Gt a−1for Devon Ice Cap. The Belcher Glacier is becoming a larger source of mass loss via ice discharge.


1986 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 156-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arne Chr. Saetrang ◽  
Bjørn Wold

The paper describes instrumentation, navigation methods, and interpretation problems from radio echo-sounding on parts of Jostedalsbreen. A map of the subglacial topography is presented. Ice thickness ranges from 60 m to 600 m with most sections between 150 m and 300 m.


1982 ◽  
Vol 28 (98) ◽  
pp. 57-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. G. Thompson ◽  
J. F. Bolzan ◽  
H. H. Brecher ◽  
P. D. Kruss ◽  
E. Mosley-Thompson ◽  
...  

Abstract During the 1978 and 1979 field seasons, ice thicknesses on the Quelccaya ice cap were determined using a Worden geodetic gravity meter along a west–east traverse and using a mono–pulse ice radar sounder along a north–south traverse. The maximum ice thickness measured was 180 ± 10 m. Based upon the known thickness of the ice cap and the net accumulation, depth–age calculations indicate that an ice core record covering at least the past 600 years and perhaps 1 300 years could be obtained from this tropical ice cap. A topographic map of the Qori Kalis glacier (the largest outlet glacier from the Quelccaya ice cap) has been compiled at a scale of 1:6 000 from 1963 aerial photography. Terrestrial photography of the glacier was obtained in 1978 and coordinates of the edge of the glacier were determined photogrammetrically. Comparison of these two shows that over this 15 year period the glacier has thinned with the terminus retreating more than 100 m. The retreat measured for the Qori Kalis glacier is consistent with the behavior of other tropical glaciers.


1996 ◽  
Vol 42 (141) ◽  
pp. 219-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ted S. Clarke ◽  
Keiih Echelmeyer

AbstractSeismic-reflection methods were used to determine the ice thickness and basal topography of Jakobshavns Isbræ, a large, fast-moving ice stream/outlet glacier in West Greenland. A method of data analysis was developed which involves the pointwise migration of data from a linear seismic array and a single explosive source; the method yields the depth, horizontal position and slope of the basal reflector. A deep U-shaped subglacial trough was found beneath the entire length of the well-defined ice stream. The trough is incised up to 1500 m into bedrock, and its base lies 1200–1500 m below sea level for at least 70 km inland. Center-line ice thickness along most of the channel is about 2500 m, or about 2.5 times that of the surrounding ice sheet. This prominent bedrock trough was not apparent in existing radio-echo-sounding data. Reflection coefficients indicate that much of the basal interface is probably underlain by compacted, non-deforming sediment. The large ice thickness, coupled with relatively steep surface slopes, leads to high basal shear stresses (200–300 k Pa) along the ice stream. The large shear stresses and lack of a deformable bed imply that internal deformation plays a dominant role in the dynamics of Jakobshavns Isbræ.


1989 ◽  
Vol 145 ◽  
pp. 59-63
Author(s):  
L Thorning ◽  
E Hansen

Two separate geophysical projects were carried out in 1988 as part of glacier-hydrological investigations of the margin of the Inland Ice. We made a reconnaissance electromagnetic resonance survey over the ice margin adjacent to Sermilik and Isortuarssup tasia, south-east of Nuuk/Godthåb and measured ice thickness along some lines in the area of Qamanârssûp serrnia, Kangiata nunâta sermia and Kangaussarssup sermia a short distance to the north, as well as a few profiles over a local ice cap just east of Isortuarssup tasia. In the Pâkitsoq area, north east of Ilulissat/Jakobshavn, we finished the mono-pulse ice radar work started last year (Thorning & Hansen, 1988a).


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