Airborne microwave measurements of the southern Greenland ice sheet
Microwave remote sensing measurements were collected over Greenland with the NASA C-130 aircraft used as a platform. The principal instruments were a C band radiometer and an X band scatterometer, which simultaneously collected both active and passive microwave remote sensing data. The data collected fully support the conclusions drawn by others that volume scattering from subsurface ice lenses and glands is the major influence on microwave signature. Both thermal emission and radar backscattering results are self-consistent with rather simple theories of volume scattering. The remote sensing measurements also provide a relative measure of the number density of scatterers; however, additional theoretical work is required to establish the cross section per scatterer in order to measure absolute number density. Along this avenue of thought, the data rule out Rayleigh scattering and strongly support a high frequency model. The measured anisotropy over the ice cap appears to be a new observation, and future exploitation of remote sensing techniques may provide information relating to the average shape of subsurface patterns and information relative to glacial flow. 14 references, 10 figures.
- Research Organization:
- Massachusetts Univ., Amherst
- OSTI ID:
- 6172481
- Journal Information:
- J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Vol. 90:B2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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