Project Details
Projekt
Radar development for wide-angle measurements to characterise ice rheology
Subject Area
Communication Technology and Networks, High-Frequency Technology and Photonic Systems, Signal Processing and Machine Learning for Information Technology
Geophysics
Geophysics
Term
since 2026
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 579092097
The ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica are key components of the global climate system. They not only affect sea level but also act as drivers of ocean circulation. To improve our understanding of their dynamics and to make reliable future projections, numerical models currently describe ice flow mostly as an isotropic, viscous fluid. However, this assumption is oversimplified, since the actual ice rheology – the relationship between stress and strain rate – is strongly influenced by anisotropy. This anisotropy arises from the hexagonal crystal structure of ice, which leads to macroscopic ice textures that deform differently depending on orientation. As a result, anisotropy plays a crucial role in ice flow, in the development of ice streams, and in the stratigraphic folding of ice layers that must be accounted for in climate reconstructions from ice cores. To capture this anisotropy, wide-angle radar measurements offer new opportunities. These measurements exploit a large bistatic angle between transmitter and receiver, making it possible to infer information about crystalline orientation along the depth of the ice. Initial studies have shown that such measurements can reveal anisotropic ice textures, which can be validated through comparisons with ice core data. Yet, current technology does not allow for large-scale mapping using wide-angle radar. The proposed project therefore aims to develop a phase-coherent ground-based radar system with antenna separations of several hundred meters and wireless synchronization. This presents a major technical challenge, as the system must cover a very high dynamic range to resolve both weak internal reflections and strong basal signals at the bottom of the ice sheet. Scientifically, this radar system will make it possible to determine anisotropic ice and firn textures and to investigate their co-evolution with ice flow. Beyond improving models of ice rheology, the system will also enable progress on broader glaciological questions – such as reconstructing ice temperatures or characterizing the material properties at the ice–bedrock interface. The project thus combines technical innovation with geophysical application. Interdisciplinary collaboration between microwave engineering and geophysics is crucial to both the development of the radar technology and its use in addressing pressing climate-related processes. If successful, the establishment of such radar methods could not only transform ice dynamics research but also find applications in other areas of terrestrial geophysics.
DFG Programme
Research Grants
Co-Investigators
Dr. Rebecca Schlegel; Dr. Daniel Werbunat
