Variations in the radiothermal radiation of the ice cover of Lake Arakhley as a geo-indicator of deformation and cracking

Abstract

Abstract In January-March, 2020-2021, radiophysical studies were conducted of radiothermal radiation intensity for the testing site for Lake Arakhley, Transbaikalia, Russia. The set of equipment consisting of four microwave radiometers for the wavelengths from 0.3 to 2 cm was placed on the shore of the lake mounted on a stationary platform. The temperature and deformation of ice were simultaneously measured at the depth of 0.4 meters in two orthogonal directions: west-east and north-south. The temperature was measured with heat gauges in a vertical profile at the depths of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 40 cm. In the process of contact measurements in the period of cracking, signal impulses were recorded in the channel of the deformation sensor placed in the direction of the lake center (west-east). The measurement results were used in monitoring of the condition of the water body. It turned out that in the periods of registering the deformation impulses, changes in the radio brightness temperature and decrease in the ice temperature were observed. The microwave characteristics correlate with the temperature and deformation of the ice cover and may serve as an indicator of the meteorological conditions of the region.