Subsurface sounders

Airborne or spaceborne electromagnetic systems used to detect subsurface features are discussed. Data are given as a function of resistivity of ground material, magnetic permeability of free space, and angular frequency. It was noted that resistivities vary with the water content and temperature

Bed topography of Jakobshavn Isbrae, Greenland, and Byrd Glacier, Antarctica

This is the published version. Copyright 2015 International Glaciological SocietyThis paper presents the bed topography of Jakobshavn Isbrae, Greenland, and Byrd Glacier, Antarctica, derived from sounding these glaciers with high-sensitivity radars. To understand the processes causing the speed-up and retreat of outlet glaciers, and to enable the development of next-generation ice-sheet models, we need information on bed topography and basal conditions. To this end, we performed measurements with the progressively improved Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder/Imager (MCoRDS/I). We processed the data from each antenna-array element using synthetic aperture radar algorithms to improve radar sensitivity and reduce along-track surface clutter. We then applied array and image-processing algorithms to extract the weak bed echoes buried in off-vertical scatter (cross-track surface clutter). At Jakobshavn Isbrae, we observed 2.7 km thick ice ∼30 km upstream of the calving front and ∼850 m thick ice at the calving front. We also observed echoes from multiple interfaces near the bed. We applied the MUSIC algorithm to the data to derive the direction of arrival of the signals. This analysis revealed that clutter is dominated by the ice surface at Jakobshavn Isbrae. At Byrd Glacier, we found ∼3.62 km thick ice, as well as a subglacial trench ∼3.05 km below sea level. We used ice thickness information derived from radar data in conjunction with surface elevation data to generate bed maps for these two critical glaciers. The performance of current radars must be improved further by ∼15 dB to fully sound the deepest part of Byrd Glacier. Unmanned aerial systems equipped with radars that can be flown over lines spaced as close as 5 m apart in the cross-track direction to synthesize a two-dimensional aperture would be ideal for collecting fine-resolution data over glaciers like Jakobshavn near their grounding lines

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) for Fine-resolution Basal Ice Sheet Imaging

This dissertation work was to examine the feasibility of InSAR through the ice sheets to create a fine resolution basal topography map and extraction of basal composition. InSAR was shown to be possible through the ice sheet, using data collected by the MCRDS radar around the NEEM drill site. Reflectivity maps were generated leading to the possibility of extracting useful basal composition data. Extraction of basal composition information was examined including estimating the roughness of basal topography and removing the effects of local slope

Coherent large beamwidth processing of radio-echo sounding data

Coherent processing of radio-echo sounding data of polar ice sheets is known to provide an indication of bedrock properties and detection of internal layers. We investigate the benefits of coherent processing of a large azimuth beamwidth to retrieve and characterize the orientation and angular backscattering properties of the surface and subsurface features. MCRDS data acquired over two distinct test areas in Greenland are used to demonstrate the specular backscattering properties of the ice surface and of the internal layers, as well as the much wider angular response of the bedrock. The coupling of internal layers' orientation with the bed topography is shown to increase with depth. Spectral filtering can be used to increase the SNR of the internal layers and mitigate the surface multiple. The variance of the bed backscattering can be used to characterize the bed return specularity. The use of the SAR-focused RES data ensures the correct azimuth positioning of the internal layers for the subsequent slope estimation.</p

Polarimetric airborne scientific instrument, mark 2, an ice‐sounding airborne synthetic aperture radar for subglacial 3D imagery

Polarimetric Airborne Scientific INstrument, mark 2 (PASIN2) is a 150 MHz coherent pulsed radar with the purpose of deep ice sounding for bedrock, subglacial channels and ice-water interface detection in Antarctica. It is designed and operated by the British Antarctic Survey from 2014. With multiple antennas, oriented along and across-track, for transmission and reception, it enables polarimetric 3D estimation of the ice base with a single pass, reducing the gridding density of the survey paths. The off-line data processing stream consists of channel calibration; 2D synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging based on back-projection, for along-track and range dimensions; and finally, a direction of arrival estimation (DoA) of the remaining across-track angle, by modifying the non-linear MUSIC algorithm. Calibration flights, during the Antarctic Summer campaigns in 16/17 and 19/20 seasons, assessed and validated the instrument and processing performances. Imaging flights over ice streams and ice shelves close to grounding lines demonstrate the 3D sensing capabilities. By resolving directional ambiguities and accounting for reflector across-track location, the true ice thickness and bed elevation are obtained, thereby removing the error of the usual assumption of vertical DoA, that greatly influence the output of flow models of ice dynamics

Polarimetric airborne scientific instrument, mark 2, an ice‐sounding airborne synthetic aperture radar for subglacial 3D imagery

Polarimetric Airborne Scientific INstrument, mark 2 (PASIN2) is a 150 MHz coherent pulsed radar with the purpose of deep ice sounding for bedrock, subglacial channels and ice‐water interface detection in Antarctica. It is designed and operated by the British Antarctic Survey from 2014. With multiple antennas, oriented along and across‐track, for transmission and reception, it enables polarimetric 3D estimation of the ice base with a single pass, reducing the gridding density of the survey paths. The off‐line data processing stream consists of channel calibration; 2D synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging based on back‐projection, for along‐track and range dimensions; and finally, a direction of arrival estimation (DoA) of the remaining across‐track angle, by modifying the non‐linear MUSIC algorithm. Calibration flights, during the Antarctic Summer campaigns in 16/17 and 19/20 seasons, assessed and validated the instrument and processing performances. Imaging flights over ice streams and ice shelves close to grounding lines demonstrate the 3D sensing capabilities. By resolving directional ambiguities and accounting for reflector across‐track location, the true ice thickness and bed elevation are obtained, thereby removing the error of the usual assumption of vertical DoA, that greatly influence the output of flow models of ice dynamics

Focused synthetic aperture radar processing of ice-sounder data collected over the Greenland ice sheet

©2001 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. However, permission to reprint/republish this material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or to reuse any copyrighted component of this work in other works must be obtained from the IEEE.We developed a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) processing algorithm for airborne/spaceborne ice-sounding radar systems and applied it to data collected in Greenland. By using focused SAR (phase-corrected coherent averaging), we improved along-track resolution by a factor of four and provided a 6-dB processing gain over unfocused SAR (coherent averaging without phase correction) based on a point-target analysis for a Greenland ice-sounding data set. Also, we demonstrated that the focused-SAR processing reduced clutter and enabled us to identify bedrock-interface returns buried in clutter. Using focused-SAR technique, we processed data collected over a key 360-km-long portion of the 2000-m contour line of southwest Greenland. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first high-quality radar ice thickness measurements over this key location. Moreover, these ice-thickness measurements have been used for improving mass-balance estimates of the Greenland ice sheet

Validation of CReSIS Synthetic Aperture Radar Processor and Optimal Processing Parameters

Sounding the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica is a vital component in determining the effect of global warming on sea level rise. Of particular importance are measurements of the bedrock topography of the outlet glaciers that transport ice from the ice sheet's interior to the margin where it calves into icebergs, contributing to sea level rise. These outlet glaciers are difficult to sound due to crevassing caused by the relatively fast movement of the ice in the glacial channel and higher signal attenuation caused by warmer ice. The Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) uses multi-channel airborne radars which employ methods for achieving better resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) to better sound outlet glaciers. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) techniques are used in the along-track dimension, pulse compression in the range dimension, and an antenna array in the cross-track dimension. CReSIS has developed the CReSIS SAR processor (CSARP) to effectively and efficiently process the data collected by these radars in each dimension. To validate the performance of this processor a SAR simulator was developed with the functionality to test the implementation of the processing algorithms in CSARP. In addition to the implementation of this simulator for validation of processing the data in the along-track, cross-track and range dimensions, there are a number of data-dependent processing steps that can affect the quality of the final data product. CSARP was tested with an ideal simulated point target in white Gaussian noise. The SNR change achieved by range compression, azimuth compression, array combination with and without matched filtering, and lever arm application were all within .2 dB of the theoretical expectation. Channel equalization, when paired with noise-based matched filtering, provided 1-2 dB of gain on average but significantly less than the expected gain. Extending the SAR aperture length to sound bedrock will improve the along-track resolution, but at the expense of SNR. Increasing the taper of a window in the fast-time and slow-time will slightly improve the SNR of the data. Changing the relative permittivity used to process the data improved the resulting SNR by no more than 0.025 dB for the test dataset

Mapping of Ice Sheet Deep Layers and Fast Outlet Glaciers with Multi-Channel-High-Sensitivity Radar

This dissertation discusses the waveform design, the development of SAR and clutter reduction algorithms for MCRDS radars that are developed at CReSIS to map the ice-sheet bed, deep internal layers and fast-flowing outlet glaciers. It is verified with survey data that the sidelobe level of the designed tapered linear chirp waveform is lower than -60dB for reliable detection of deep ice layers close to the bed. The SAR processing is implemented in f-k domain with motion compensation. Very weak echoes from the deepest parts of Jakobshavn channel are detected for the first time using large synthetic aperture length. A beam-spaced clutter-reduction algorithm is developed to reduce the distributed across-track ice clutter encountered in sounding fast outlet glaciers by estimating the clutter power as a function of depth. On average this method is able to reduce ice clutter by 10dB over Hanning weighting with the MCRDS radar's multi-channel data

A Wideband Direction of Arrival Technique for Multibeam, Wide-Swath Imaging of Ice Sheet Basal Morphology

Multichannel, ice sounder data can be processed to three-dimensionally map ice sheet bed topography and basal reflectivity using tomographic imaging techniques. When ultra-wideband (UWB) signals are used to interrogate a glaciological target, fine resolution maps can be obtained. These data sets facilitate both process studies of ice sheet dynamics and also continental-scale ice sheet modeling needed to predict future sea level. The socioeconomic importance of these data as well as the cost and logistical challenge of procuring them justifies the need to image ice sheet basal morphology over a wider swath. Imaging wide swaths with UWB signals poses challenges for the array processing methods that have been used to localize scattering in the cross-track dimension. Both MUltiple SIgnal Classification (MUSIC) and the Maximum Likelihood Estimator (MLE) have been applied to the ice sheet tomography problem. These techniques are formulated assuming a narrowband model of the array that breaks down in wideband signal environments when the direction of arrival (DOA) increases further off nadir. The Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) developed a UWB multichannel SAR with a large cross-track array for sounding and imaging polar ice from a Basler BT-67 aircraft. In 2013, this sensor collected data in a multibeam mode over the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to demonstrate wide swath imaging. To reliably estimate the arrival angles of echoes from the edges of the swath, a parametric space-time direction of arrival estimator was developed that obtains an estimate of the DOA by fitting the observed space-time covariance structure to a model. This thesis focuses on the development and optimization of the algorithm and describes its predicted performance based on simulation. Its measured performance is analyzed with 3D tomographic basal maps of an ice stream in West Antarctica that were generated using the technique