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Sea ice thickness measurement and its underside morphology analysis using radar penetration in the Arctic Ocean

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Abstract

Based on radar penetrating measurements and analysis of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean, the potential of radar wave to measure sea ice thickness and map the morphology of the underside of sea ice is investigated. The results indicate that the radar wave can penetrate Arctic summer sea ice of over 6 m in thickness; and the propagation velocity of the radar wave in sea ice is in the range of 0.142 m · ns−1 to 0.154 m · ns−1. The radar images display the roughness and micro-relief variation of sea ice bottom surface. These features are closely related to sea ice types, which show that radar survey may be used to identify and classify ice types. Since radar images can simultaneously display the linear profile features of both the upper surface and the underside of sea ice, we use these images to quantify their actual linear length discrepancy. A new length factor is suggested in relation to the actual linear length discrepancy in linear profiles of sea ice, which may be useful in the further study of the area difference between the upper surface and bottom surface of sea ice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Polar Research Institute of China, 200129, Shanghai, China

    Bo Sun, Jiahong Wen, Maobing He, Jiancheng Kang, Yuzhong Luo & Li Yuansheng

  2. Laboratory of Ice Core and Cold Region Environment, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 730000, Lanzhou, China

    Bo Sun

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  1. Bo Sun
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Correspondence to Bo Sun.

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Sun, B., Wen, J., He, M. et al. Sea ice thickness measurement and its underside morphology analysis using radar penetration in the Arctic Ocean. Sci. China Ser. D-Earth Sci. 46, 1151–1160 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1360/02yd0033

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