2 – 8 GHz FMCW radar for estimating snow depth on antarctic sea ice

This paper presents the development and initial results from a prototype airborne Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) snow thickness radar operating at 2-8 GHz. The FMCW radar was constructed at the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS), Kansas University (USA), and is the product of a collaborative effort between Kansas University, the University of Tasmania (Australia) and the Australian Antarctic Division. This radar was successfully tested in a laboratory, and then deployed on a helicopter during the Australian-led Sea Ice Physics and Ecosystem Experiment (SIPEX) research cruise to the East Antarctic pack ice zone in September - October 2007. Approximately twenty hours of airborne radar data were collected and time-stamped with GPS data for accurate geolocation. Coincident data from a scanning laser altimeter, as well as digital photography, enable a multi-dimensional view of the sample areas, and are important for interpreting the radar signatures. The data obtained provide a multi-dimensional view of the snow and sea ice surface.