On the Limitations of Using Polarimetric Radar Sounding to Infer the Crystal Orientation Fabric of Ice Masses
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On the Limitations of Using Polarimetric Radar Sounding to Infer the Crystal Orientation Fabric of Ice Masses. / Rathmann, Nicholas M.; Lilien, David A.; Grinsted, Aslak; Gerber, Tamara A.; Young, Tun Jan; Dahl-Jensen, Dorthe.
I: Geophysical Research Letters, Bind 49, Nr. 1, ARTN e2021GL096244, 16.01.2022.Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
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TY - JOUR
T1 - On the Limitations of Using Polarimetric Radar Sounding to Infer the Crystal Orientation Fabric of Ice Masses
AU - Rathmann, Nicholas M.
AU - Lilien, David A.
AU - Grinsted, Aslak
AU - Gerber, Tamara A.
AU - Young, Tun Jan
AU - Dahl-Jensen, Dorthe
PY - 2022/1/16
Y1 - 2022/1/16
N2 - We introduce a transfer matrix model for radio-wave propagation through layered anisotropic ice that permits an arbitrary dielectric permittivity tensor in each layer. The model is used to investigate how crystal orientation fabrics without a vertical principal direction affect polarimetric radar returns over glaciers and ice sheets. By expanding the c-axis orientation distribution in terms of a spherical harmonic series, we find that radar returns from synthetic fabric profiles are relatively insensitive to the harmonic mode responsible for a nonvertical principal direction; however, only for normally incident waves. Consequently, the strength of this mode might be relatively difficult to infer in glaciers and ice sheets, which in turn has implications for the ability to determine the full second-order structure tensor, needed to infer the local flow regime, flow history, or to represent the directional viscosity structure of glacier ice for ice-flow modeling.
AB - We introduce a transfer matrix model for radio-wave propagation through layered anisotropic ice that permits an arbitrary dielectric permittivity tensor in each layer. The model is used to investigate how crystal orientation fabrics without a vertical principal direction affect polarimetric radar returns over glaciers and ice sheets. By expanding the c-axis orientation distribution in terms of a spherical harmonic series, we find that radar returns from synthetic fabric profiles are relatively insensitive to the harmonic mode responsible for a nonvertical principal direction; however, only for normally incident waves. Consequently, the strength of this mode might be relatively difficult to infer in glaciers and ice sheets, which in turn has implications for the ability to determine the full second-order structure tensor, needed to infer the local flow regime, flow history, or to represent the directional viscosity structure of glacier ice for ice-flow modeling.
KW - anisotropic ice
KW - ice sheets
KW - radio wave modeling
KW - ANISOTROPIC LAYERED MEDIA
KW - SEISMIC ANISOTROPY
KW - WAVE PROPAGATION
KW - SHEAR
KW - FLOW
KW - OLIVINE
KW - SHEETS
KW - CREEP
U2 - 10.1029/2021GL096244
DO - 10.1029/2021GL096244
M3 - Journal article
VL - 49
JO - Geophysical Research Letters (Online)
JF - Geophysical Research Letters (Online)
SN - 1944-8007
IS - 1
M1 - ARTN e2021GL096244
ER -
ID: 300993698