Instruments and Methods Determination of firn density in ice cores using image analysis

ABSTRACT. This study presents a simple and inexpensive method for deriving a high-resolution density proxy record for the firn part of an ice core using digital images. The image data have better resolution and are less sensitive to core quality than is density derived through dielectric profiling (...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Björn Sjögren, Ola Brandt, Chris Nuth, Elisabeth Isaksson, Veijo Pohjola, Jack Kohler
Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
Format: Text
Language:English
Subjects:
Online Access:http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.429.5723
http://www.igsoc.org/journal/53/182/j06j089.pdf
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Summary:ABSTRACT. This study presents a simple and inexpensive method for deriving a high-resolution density proxy record for the firn part of an ice core using digital images. The image data have better resolution and are less sensitive to core quality than is density derived through dielectric profiling (DEP). Simple image analysis is thus suitable to derive a density proxy record in the firn section of ice cores drilled in the percolation or wet snow zone, and to better interpret the results of a DEP record. The images may be used as a permanent record when evaluating other types of ice-core data. Suggestions are provided to improve data quality and decrease post-processing time of the image analysis in future studies. 1.