Brief communication: An empirical relation between center frequency and measured thickness for radar sounding of temperate glaciers

• Published in: The Cryosphere
• Main Authors: MacGregor, Joseph A., Studinger, Michael, Arnold, Emily, Leuschen, Carlton J., Rodríguez-Morales, Fernando, Paden, John D.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2021
• Subjects: article; Verlagsveröffentlichung; The Cryosphere
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2569-2021; https://noa.gwlb.de/receive/cop_mods_00056887; https://noa.gwlb.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/cop_derivate_00056537/tc-15-2569-2021.pdf; https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/2569/2021/tc-15-2569-2021.pdf

Radar sounding of the thickness of temperate glaciers is challenged by substantial volume scattering, surface scattering and high attenuation rates. Lower-frequency radar sounders are often deployed to mitigate these effects, but the lack of a global synthesis of their success limits progress in system and survey design. Here we extend a recent global compilation of glacier thickness measurements (GlaThiDa) with the center frequency for radar-sounding surveys. From a maximum reported thickness of ∼ 1500 m near 1 MHz, the maximum thickness sounded decreases by ∼ 500 m per frequency decade. Between 25–100 MHz, newer airborne radar sounders generally outperform older, ground-based ones. Based on globally modeled glacier thicknesses, we conclude that a multi-element, ≤30 MHz airborne radar sounder could survey most temperate glaciers more efficiently.