Estimation of relative water content in a sub-polar glacier using surface-penetration radar

Abstract Radar-sounding data taken at Uvérsbreen glacier, Svalbard, are used to estimate the relative water content of the temperate part of the glacier. The relative change in water content of the temperate part of the glacier. The relative change in water content is estimated from the strength of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Glaciology
Main Authors: Hamran, Sveinerik, Aarholt, Eldar, Hagen, Jon Ove, Mo, Per
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1996
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000003518
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000003518
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Summary:Abstract Radar-sounding data taken at Uvérsbreen glacier, Svalbard, are used to estimate the relative water content of the temperate part of the glacier. The relative change in water content of the temperate part of the glacier. The relative change in water content is estimated from the strength of the backscttered radar energy without knowing the size of the scatterers. The main findings are that the water content is on average changing by a factor of five in the ice, with the exception of some bright spots believed to stem fro larger water moulins. The general trend is also that the water content is increasing with lower altitude. The applied technique may be a useful method for large-scale mapping of the relative water-content variation in temperate and polythermal glaciers.