Sentinel-1 detection of ice slabs on the Greenland Ice Sheet

Abstract m resolution using dual-polarization Sentinel-1 (S - 1) synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) data collected in winter 2016–2017. We do this by selecting empirical thresholds for the cross-polarized backscatter ratio and HV backscattered power that jointly optimize the agreement between airborne ice-penetrating radar data detections of ice slabs and the S - 1 estimates of ice slab extent. Our results show that there is a strong correlation between C-band backscatter and the ice content of the upper ∼ m of the firn column that enables ice slab mapping with S - 1. Our new mapping shows that ice slabs are nearly continuous around the entire margin of the ice sheet. This includes regions in southwest Greenland where ice slabs have not been previously identified by ice-penetrating radar but where the S - 1 -inferred ice slab extent shows strong agreement with the extent of visible runoff mapped from optical imagery. The algorithm developed here lays the groundwork for the long-term monitoring of ice slab expansion with current and future C-band satellite systems and highlights the potential added value of future L-band missions for near-surface studies in Greenland.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Sentinel-1 detection of ice slabs on the Greenland Ice Sheet ; volume:18 ; number:5 ; year:2024 ; pages:2531-2555 ; extent:25 ; The Cryosphere ; 18, Heft 5 (2024), 2531-2555 (gesamt 25)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Culberg, Riley ; Michaelides, Roger J. ; Miller, Julie Z.

Further information

• DOI: 10.5194/tc-18-2531-2024
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2405300435537.105119732328
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 14.08.2025, 11:03 AM CEST