Radio-wave penetration in the Greenland Ice Sheet inferred from interferometric correlation

A novel way to exploit radar interferometry for studying glacier structure is to use interferometric correlation. Spatial decorrelation, a function of viewing angle difference between observations, is exacerbated by volume scatter; the larger the vertical extent of the scatterers contributing to the radar echo, the greater the decorrelation. By modelling this effect and accounting for other types of correlation the authors can determine radio wave penetration depths. They have done this for an area within the dry snow zone of Greenland using ERS data, and have found a mean C-band penetration depth of ~33 m