ESA Radar Could Be Used to Study Ice Sheets
25.04.2008 - Other
A radar technique currently being used by the European Space Agency (ESA) on Mars could find new applications on Earth, such as studying ice sheet stability. A new ESA study is currently being undertaken in order to refine the technique for use on Earth.
This new study has been baptised Advanced Concept for Radar Sounder (ACRAS) and aims to assist both Earth observation and planetary exploration. Using orbiting radar at long wavelength, it allows scientists to see beneath the surface of a planetary body and returns information about the subsurface environment.
The radar could, in the future, also be used to accurately estimate the ice sheet thickness in Antarctica and the Arctic region, revealing valuable information about the three-dimensional internal structure of the ice sheets, specifications concerning the underlying terrain and configuration of the bedrock.
The ACRAS study is set to conclude in October this year. Over time, it is expected that this tool could detail the evolution of ice sheets, as ice melts and collapses into the ocean.
