Airborne radar sounder for temperate ice: initial results from Patagonia

Abstract

AbstractWe describe the development of a low-frequency airborne radar specifically designed for the sounding of temperate ice. The system operates at a central frequency of 1 MHz and consists of an impulse transmitter with an output voltage up to 5000 V and a digital receiver with a maximum gain of 80 dB. The radar was deployed on board a CASA 212 aircraft, which also carries a laser altimeter, an inertial navigation system, a digital camera and a GPS receiver. A description of the radar system is provided, as well as preliminary results obtained at Glaciar Tyndall, Campo de Hielo Sur (Southern Patagonia Icefield), where an ice depth of 670 m was reached.