Brief Communication: Update on the GPS reflection technique for measuring snow accumulation in Greenland

• Published in: The Cryosphere
• Main Authors: K. M. Larson, M. MacFerrin, T. Nylen
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2020
• Subjects: geo; envir; Greenland; The Cryosphere
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1985-2020; https://www.the-cryosphere.net/14/1985/2020/tc-14-1985-2020.pdf; https://doaj.org/article/f68399db219547219ce3fbf2486d079c

GPS interferometric reflectometry (GPS-IR) is a technique that can be used to measure snow accumulation on ice sheets. The footprint of the method (∼1000 m2) is larger than that of many other in situ methods. A long-term comparison with hand measurements yielded an accuracy assessment of 2 cm. Depending on the placement of the GPS antenna, these data are also sensitive to firn density. The purpose of this short note is to make public GPS-IR measurements of snow accumulation for four sites in Greenland, compare these records with in situ sensors, and make available open-source GPS-IR software to the cryosphere community.