Firn aquifer map 1 kilometer (km) based on Sentinel-1 data, Greenland, 2014-2019

• Main Author: Brangers, Isis
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Arctic Data Center 2020
• Subjects: Firn Aquifers; Greenland; Ice Sheet
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.18739/a2hd7ns8n; https://arcticdata.io/catalog/view/doi:10.18739/A2HD7NS8N

Firn aquifers in Greenland store liquid water within the upper ice sheet and impact the hydrological system and the ice sheets contribution to sea level rise. This Sentinel-1 based product provides a first estimate of firn aquifer presence covering the full Greenland ice sheet at 1 kilometer (km) resolution. The detection of aquifers relies on a delay in the freezing of meltwater within the firn above the water table, causing a distinctive pattern in the radar backscatter. The total aquifer area is estimated at 54,800 square kilometers (km2). This data set can help improve our understanding of the role of firn aquifers in the complex ice sheet system. With continuity of Sentinel-1 ensured until 2030, our study lays a foundation for monitoring the future response of firn aquifers to climate change. More information can be found in Brangers, I., Lievens, H., Miège, C., Demuzere, M., Brucker, L., and De Lannoy, G.J.M., Sentinel-1 detects firn aquifers in the Greenland Ice Sheet, Geophysical Research Letters, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL085192