GPR Surveys in Antarctica to Map Ice Thickness and Rock Topography

Abstract

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys have been carried out at Schirmacher Oasis and Dakshin Gangotri located at Queen Maud Land, East Antarctica, during the 22nd Indian Antarctic Summer Expedition, 2002-2003. The present study confirmed the ability of the high-resolution GPR for monitoring the glaciers. It gives information about the health of the glaciers before it collapses. GPR survey over three frozen lakes near the Maitri Station provided the lakes' top ice thickness and bedrock depth. Similarly, the internal layers of the glaciers have been mapped in-situ using GPR. The results can be correlated with the results obtained by ice-core drill wells to understand the different field parameters (i.e., thickness of each layer, dielectric constant, etc.).