Using CReSIS Radar Data to Determine Ice Thickness at Pine Island Glacier By Topographic Identification of Surface

Keywords: Glacier, Radar, Refractive Index, Mass Balance, Calving, Ice-sheet, Topography, Echogram, Picker Program

Abstract
The Pine Island Glacier region of Antarctica is an area under intense scrutiny because of its sensitivity to climate change. Pine Island Glacier is located in Western Antarctica and drains a large portion of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. It has shown to be particularly vulnerable to glacial ablation [1]. The 2012 Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), Ocean Marine Polar Science (OMPS), Penn State Team analyzed CReSIS radar data to identify the ice-surface and ice-bottom features. From this, both elevation and ice thickness at Pine Island Glacier were determined. The team utilized MATLAB along with an add-on picker program; The Penn State Environment for Seismic Processing (PSESP), developed at Pennsylvania State University. MATLAB is a programming environment that analyzes data as well as many other technical processing applications. With the picker program the team selected specific, maximum-strength radar peaks on individual radar traces and applied a formula to compute the distance traveled by the signal. The difference between the distance traveled from the surface and bottom features was calculated to produce an ice thickness map. The team results will provide data that will aid in modeling of the Pine Island Glacier.

Extended Abstract