Analytic Solutions to Reflection-Transmission Problem of Interface in Anisotropic Ice Sheet

Abstract

The rheology and evolution of the polar ice sheet are deeply influenced by the anisotropy of ice crystals. Studying the anisotropy of ice crystals can help to well understand and predict the behavior of the polar ice sheet and then the sea level rising and global climate change. In this paper, firstly, we deduce the expression of eigenvalues and eigenvectors of anisotropic media, which are determined by permittivity tensor and geometry of media. Then, the analytic formulas of reflection and transmission coefficients are derived directly by matrix transformation. Some models with real ice parameters are tested, and they present some special features at the anisotropic interface. We also discuss the physical meanings of eigenvalues and eigenvectors and the geometry analyzing to polarimetric radar. This analytic solution reveals the functional relationship between the macroradar reflection and the microphysical properties of ice crystals, which provides a feasibility of ice fabric identification by polarimetric radar detection.