ApRES 2013-2014

Description

During the iSTAR traverse conducted in November, 2013 to January, 2014, David Vaughan undertook measurements using a new generation of Autonomous Phase-sensitive Radio-Echo Sounder, on the tributaries of Pine Island Glacier, Antarctica. The instrument was developed jointly by BAS and UCL, and is a FMCW system, operating around a centre-frequency of 300MHz.

The objectives of the fieldwork were three-fold:

- To test the prototype APRES and establish its capabilities with respect of sounding nearsurface and deep layers in the ice sheet

- To measure the vertical profile of vertical strainrate as an input to iSTARC modelling studies.

- To determine the performance of the APRES in as a profiling instrument

The APRES instrument (#014) was deployed at istar-C sites 06, 07, 08, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17 and 18.

References

1. Nicholls, Keith W.; Corr, Hugh F.J.; Stewart, Craig L.; Lok, Lai Bun; Brennan, Paul V.; Vaughan, David G.. 2015 A ground-based radar for measuring vertical strain rates and time-varying basal melt rates in ice sheets and shelves. Journal of Glaciology, 61 (230). 1079-1087. 10.3189/2015JoG15J073. Available here

2. iSTAR - Summary of activities

Field photo

The phase-sensitive radar (ApRES) determines ice shelf basal melt rates, used for measuring the deformation of the Antarctic ice sheet. ApRES was developed in a collaboration between BAS and University College London. BAS Image collection (2013/2014) , David Vaughan

Figures

Figure 1: iSTAR site 17 ApRES sample results radar response. Light blue indicates one chirp from the instrument with average of 1000 over plotted to show base. David Vaughan, BAS