Radar absorption due to impurities in Antarctic ice

Corr, Hugh; Moore, John C.; Nicholls, Keith W. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2188-4509. 1993 Radar absorption due to impurities in Antarctic ice. Geophysical Research Letters, 20 (11). 1071-1074. 10.1029/93GL01395

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1029/93GL01395

Abstract/Summary

Measurements of radar echo strength have been carried out on Ronne and George VI Ice Shelves, Antarctica. The differences in ice-column absorption between the two sites cannot be resolved by considering ice temperatures alone. We present an absorption model that resolves the discrepancy by considering both the ice temperature and the ice impurity concentrations. In Antarctic coastal sites the concentrations of acid and sea salt impurities, both of which affect absorption, have a marked spatial variability and can dominate the absorption budget. Using the absorption model, impurity levels in the ice column at the George VI site are deduced from the radar strength measurements and found to be typical of levels measured in Antarctic ice at similar elevations and distances from the sea. In particular the measurements suggest that the concentrations of biogenically-derived acids are much lower than the unusually high levels found on the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1029/93GL01395
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > Pre 2000 programme
ISSN:	00948276
Date made live:	17 Aug 2017 13:43 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/517635

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1029/93GL01395

Programmes:

BAS Programmes > Pre 2000 programme

ISSN:

00948276

Date made live:

17 Aug 2017 13:43 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/517635