Towards Bedmap Himalayas: development of an airborne ice-sounding radar for glacier thickness surveys in High-Mountain Asia

• DOI: 10.1017/aog.2020.29
• Publication Date: 2020-07-01T13:27:17Z
• Authors: H. D. Pritchard; E. C. King; D. J. Goodger; M. McCarthy; C. Mayer; R. Kayastha
• Keywords: Ground-Penetrating Radar; Glacier morphology; Glaciology

Abstract The thickness of glaciers in High-Mountain Asia (HMA) is critical determining when the ice reserve will be lost as these thin but remarkably poorly known because very few measurements have been made. Through a series ground-based and airborne field tests, we adapted low-frequency ice-penetrating radar developed originally for Antarctic over-snow surveys, deployment helicopter-borne system to increase number measurements. manoeuvrability provided by helicopters ability our detect glacier beds through thick, dirty, temperate makes it well suited greatly sample available calibrating models on regional global scale. Bedmap Himalayas radar-survey can reduce uncertainty present-day volumes therefore projections HMA's river catchments lose this hydrological buffer against drought.