K053 - Investigation of Snow and Ice Properties at Land and Sea to Improve Remotely Sensed Mass Balance Observations

The overall aim of this project is to carry out research in the Antarctic that will improve the accuracy of remotely sensed, satellite-derived, snow and ice data. Satellite-derived data from Antarctica currently provide significant information on snow and ice properties. This information is critical to understanding climate, climate change and the response of Antarctica to such change. But snow and ice properties are extremely complex, and the quality and reliability of the satellite-derived data depends on algorithms developed and tested with robust ground truth data, that is, with data derived on the ground in the Antarctic. The accuracy of satellite-derived snow and ice parameters such as surface height, sea ice thickness and accumulation rates - all key components to understanding cryosphere mass balance - can only be assured when coupled with good ground-truthed information. More and more information on snow and ice is coming from satellites. This information is worthless until we understand how accurate it actually is.

Ground penetrating radar, snow accumulation and snow pit measurements at McMurdo Ice Shelf and in the catchment basin of Erebus glacier

Land and sea ice sructure west and south of Ross Island measured by ground penetrating radar, UAV, and helicopter EM bird