Antarctic ice depthsounding radar instrumentation for the NASA DC-8

Prediction of the polar ice sheets' contribution to sea-level change has prompted an intensive glacial characterization with fine spatial and temporal resolution. To provide key metrics required by predictive mass balance models including surface topography, ice thickness, and basal conditions (topography, roughness, frozen or wet boundary conditions, grounding-line position), an expanding series of data collection campaigns have been conducted over the last two decades involving ground-based, airborne, and spaceborne instruments.