Ice sheet anisotropy measured with polarimetric ice sounding radar

For polar ice sheets, valuable stress and strain information can be deduced from crystal orientation fabrics (COF) and their prevailing c-axis alignment. Polarimetric radio echo sounding is a promising technique to measure the anisotropic electromagnetic propagation and reflection properties associated with COFs. In this paper, fully polarimetric P-band data acquired with the airborne POLARIS system near the ice divide of the Greenland ice sheet are analyzed. Based on a simple electromagnetic model, these data are interpreted, and a pronounced birefringence is found.