Glaciological properties of the Antarctic ice sheet from RADARSAT-1 synthetic aperture radar imagery

Abstract

The RADARSAT-1 Antarctic Mapping Project (RAMP) is a partnership between the Canadian Space Agency and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The goal of the project is to create the first complete high-resolution radar mosaic of all of Antarctica for studies of Antarctic glaciology, geology, coastal processes and climate. The major participants in RAMP are the Ohio State University, the Alaska SAR Facility, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, and Vexcel Corporation. Phase one of the project was the Antarctic Imaging Campaign-1 (AIC) which occurred during the period 9 September-20 October 1997. The AIC relied on the abilities of the Canadian RADARSAT-1 to rotate in orbit and to image with a variety of look angles to acquire imagery from the Antarctic coast to the pole. Its primary goal was the acquisition of image data. The nearly flawless execution of the mission also enabled additional collections of exact repeat orbit data. These data, covering a large part of the interior Antarctic, are potentially suitable for interferometric analysis of surface velocity. This paper describes the AIC and the various datasets obtained. It also reviews early scientific findings on the large-scale characteristics of the ice sheet including ice divides and ice streams. The overall conclusion is that these data, which constitute complete high-resolution microwave coverage, represent a new view of the Antarctic, revealing in considerable detail the glaciology, coastal processes and geology of the Southern Continent.