The Airborne Ice Radar of ETH Zurich (AIR-ETH)
ETH Zurich
Lay summary
Knowing the ice thickness of glaciers is essential for a number of reasons, ranging from the planning of ice-core drillings to determining by how much sea level might rise due to glacier melt. The most common way to measure the ice thickness of glaciers is through so-called Ground Penetrating Radar (“GPR”), a technique based on electromagnetic signals and the fact that such signals can be bounced back at the interface between two different materials – such as glacier ice and the underlying bedrock. In this project, we set out to greatly improve the “Airborne Ice Radar of ETH Zurich (AIR-ETH)“ – a custom-built GPR that can be flown by helicopter to measure glaciers thickness on large scales. More specifically, we will minimize the weight of the system, improve the way that the system’s position is determined, increase the quality of the GPR signal, and boost the system’s versatility so as to increase its options for use. Our goal is to realise a system that can be deployed from both the air and the ground, thus offering the possibility of measuring the ice thickness of any glacier of interest. The project is conducted by a group of researchers based at ETH Zurich and WSL Birmensdorf, and covering the fields of Geophysics, Space Geodesy, and Glaciology.
Details
| Regional focus | High-altitude |
| Location | Swiss Alps for testing and depending on SPI Flagship decision for demonstration |
| Funded amount | 69,000 CHF |
| Project dates | 1st March 2022 – 31st December 2024 |
| Category | SPI Technogrants |