Articles | Volume 19, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3159-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3159-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
21 Aug 2025
Research article |
| 21 Aug 2025
| 21 Aug 2025
Advancing interpretation of incoherent scattering in ice-penetrating radar data used for ice core site selection
Ellen Lucinda Mutter
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
Department of Geology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
Related authors
No articles found.
Andrew O. Hoffman, Knut Christianson, Ching-Yao Lai, Ian Joughin, Nicholas Holschuh, Elizabeth Case, Jonathan Kingslake, and the GHOST science team
The Cryosphere, 19, 1353–1372, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1353-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1353-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We use satellite and ice-penetrating radar technology to segment crevasses in the Amundsen Sea Embayment. Inspection of satellite time series reveals inland expansion of crevasses where surface stresses have increased. We develop a simple model for the strength of densifying snow and show that these crevasses are likely restricted to the near surface. This result bridges discrepancies between satellite and lab experiments and reveals the importance of porosity on surface crevasse formation.
Robert G. Bingham, Julien A. Bodart, Marie G. P. Cavitte, Ailsa Chung, Rebecca J. Sanderson, Johannes C. R. Sutter, Olaf Eisen, Nanna B. Karlsson, Joseph A. MacGregor, Neil Ross, Duncan A. Young, David W. Ashmore, Andreas Born, Winnie Chu, Xiangbin Cui, Reinhard Drews, Steven Franke, Vikram Goel, John W. Goodge, A. Clara J. Henry, Antoine Hermant, Benjamin H. Hills, Nicholas Holschuh, Michelle R. Koutnik, Gwendolyn J.-M. C. Leysinger Vieli, Emma J. Mackie, Elisa Mantelli, Carlos Martín, Felix S. L. Ng, Falk M. Oraschewski, Felipe Napoleoni, Frédéric Parrenin, Sergey V. Popov, Therese Rieckh, Rebecca Schlegel, Dustin M. Schroeder, Martin J. Siegert, Xueyuan Tang, Thomas O. Teisberg, Kate Winter, Shuai Yan, Harry Davis, Christine F. Dow, Tyler J. Fudge, Tom A. Jordan, Bernd Kulessa, Kenichi Matsuoka, Clara J. Nyqvist, Maryam Rahnemoonfar, Matthew R. Siegfried, Shivangini Singh, Verjan Višnjević, Rodrigo Zamora, and Alexandra Zuhr
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2593, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2593, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The ice sheets covering Antarctica have built up over millenia through successive snowfall events which become buried and preserved as internal surfaces of equal age detectable with ice-penetrating radar. This paper describes an international initiative to work together on this archival data to build a comprehensive 3-D picture of how old the ice is everywhere across Antarctica, and how this will be used to reconstruct past and predict future ice and climate behaviour.
Alice C. Frémand, Peter Fretwell, Julien A. Bodart, Hamish D. Pritchard, Alan Aitken, Jonathan L. Bamber, Robin Bell, Cesidio Bianchi, Robert G. Bingham, Donald D. Blankenship, Gino Casassa, Ginny Catania, Knut Christianson, Howard Conway, Hugh F. J. Corr, Xiangbin Cui, Detlef Damaske, Volkmar Damm, Reinhard Drews, Graeme Eagles, Olaf Eisen, Hannes Eisermann, Fausto Ferraccioli, Elena Field, René Forsberg, Steven Franke, Shuji Fujita, Yonggyu Gim, Vikram Goel, Siva Prasad Gogineni, Jamin Greenbaum, Benjamin Hills, Richard C. A. Hindmarsh, Andrew O. Hoffman, Per Holmlund, Nicholas Holschuh, John W. Holt, Annika N. Horlings, Angelika Humbert, Robert W. Jacobel, Daniela Jansen, Adrian Jenkins, Wilfried Jokat, Tom Jordan, Edward King, Jack Kohler, William Krabill, Mette Kusk Gillespie, Kirsty Langley, Joohan Lee, German Leitchenkov, Carlton Leuschen, Bruce Luyendyk, Joseph MacGregor, Emma MacKie, Kenichi Matsuoka, Mathieu Morlighem, Jérémie Mouginot, Frank O. Nitsche, Yoshifumi Nogi, Ole A. Nost, John Paden, Frank Pattyn, Sergey V. Popov, Eric Rignot, David M. Rippin, Andrés Rivera, Jason Roberts, Neil Ross, Anotonia Ruppel, Dustin M. Schroeder, Martin J. Siegert, Andrew M. Smith, Daniel Steinhage, Michael Studinger, Bo Sun, Ignazio Tabacco, Kirsty Tinto, Stefano Urbini, David Vaughan, Brian C. Welch, Douglas S. Wilson, Duncan A. Young, and Achille Zirizzotti
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 2695–2710, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-2695-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-2695-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This paper presents the release of over 60 years of ice thickness, bed elevation, and surface elevation data acquired over Antarctica by the international community. These data are a crucial component of the Antarctic Bedmap initiative which aims to produce a new map and datasets of Antarctic ice thickness and bed topography for the international glaciology and geophysical community.
Cited articles
Alley, R. B., Gow, A. J., Johnsen, S. J., Kipfstuhl, J., Meese, D. A., and Thorsteinsson, T.: Comparison of deep ice cores, Nature, 373, 393–394, https://doi.org/10.1038/373393b0, 1995.
Alley, R. B., Gow, A. J., Meese, D. A., Fitzpatrick, J. J., Waddington, E. D., and Bolzan, J. F.: Grain-scale processes, folding, and stratigraphic disturbance in the GISP2 ice core, J. Geophys. Res.-Oceans, 102, 26819–26830, https://doi.org/10.1029/96JC03836, 1997.
Azuma, N., Wang, Y., Mori, K., Narita, H., Hondoh, T., Shoji, H., and Watanabe, O.: Textures and fabrics in the Dome F (Antarctica) ice core, Ann. Glaciol., 29, 163–168, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756499781821148, 1999.
Bingham, R. G., Bodart, J. A., Cavitte, M. G. P., Chung, A., Sanderson, R. J., Sutter, J. C. R., Eisen, O., Karlsson, N. B., MacGregor, J. A., Ross, N., Young, D. A., Ashmore, D. W., Born, A., Chu, W., Cui, X., Drews, R., Franke, S., Goel, V., Goodge, J. W., Henry, A. C. J., Hermant, A., Hills, B. H., Holschuh, N., Koutnik, M. R., Leysinger Vieli, G. J.-M. C., Mackie, E. J., Mantelli, E., Martín, C., Ng, F. S. L., Oraschewski, F. M., Napoleoni, F., Parrenin, F., Popov, S. V., Rieckh, T., Schlegel, R., Schroeder, D. M., Siegert, M. J., Tang, X., Teisberg, T. O., Winter, K., Yan, S., Davis, H., Dow, C. F., Fudge, T. J., Jordan, T. A., Kulessa, B., Matsuoka, K., Nyqvist, C. J., Rahnemoonfar, M., Siegfried, M. R., Singh, S., Višnjević, V., Zamora, R., and Zuhr, A.: Review Article: Antarctica's internal architecture: Towards a radiostratigraphically-informed age–depth model of the Antarctic ice sheets, EGUsphere [preprint], https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2593, 2024.
Blunier, T. and Brook, E. J.: Timing of millennial-scale climate change in Antarctica and Greenland during the Last Glacial Period, Science, 291, 109–112, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.291.5501.109, 2001.
Brook, E. J., White, J. W. C., Schilla, A. S. M., Bender, M. L., Barnett, B., Severinghaus, J. P., Taylor, K. C., Alley, R. B., and Steig, E. J.: Timing of millennial-scale climate change at Siple Dome, West Antarctica, during the last glacial period, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 24, 1333–1343, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2005.02.002, 2005.
Buizert, C., Cuffey, K. M., Severinghaus, J. P., Baggenstos, D., Fudge, T. J., Steig, E. J., Markle, B. R., Winstrup, M., Rhodes, R. H., Brook, E. J., Sowers, T. A., Clow, G. D., Cheng, H., Edwards, R. L., Sigl, M., McConnell, J. R., and Taylor, K. C.: The WAIS Divide deep ice core WD2014 chronology – Part 1: Methane synchronization (68–31 ka BP) and the gas age–ice age difference, Clim. Past, 11, 153–173, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-153-2015, 2015.
Buizert, C., Sowers, T. A., Niezgoda, K., Blunier, T., Gkinis, V., Harlan, M., He, C., Jones, T. R., Kjaer, H., Liisberg, J. B., Menking, J. A., Morris, V., Noone, D., Olander Rasmussen, S., Sime, L. C., Steffensen, J. P., Svensson, A., Vaughn, B. H., Vinther, B. M., and White, J. W. C.: The Greenland spatial fingerprint of Dansgaard–Oeschger events in observations and models, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 121, e2402637121, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2402637121, 2024.
Capron, E., Landais, A., Lemieux-Dudon, B., Schilt, A., Masson-Delmotte, V., Buiron, D., Chappellaz, J., Dahl-Jensen, D., Johnsen, S., Leuenberger, M., Loulergue, L., and Oerter, H.: Synchronising EDML and NorthGRIP ice cores using δ18O of atmospheric oxygen (δ18Oatm) and CH4 measurements over MIS5 (80–123 kyr), Quaternary Sci. Rev., 29, 222–234, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2009.07.014, 2010.
Catania, G. A., Conway, H. B., Gades, A. M., Raymond, C. F., and Engelhardt, H.: Bed reflectivity beneath inactive ice streams in West Antarctica, Ann. Glaciol., 36, 287–291, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756403781816310, 2003.
Chappellaz, J., Brook, E., Blunier, T., and Malaizé, B.: CH4 and δ18O of O2 records from Antarctic and Greenland ice: a clue for stratigraphic disturbance in the bottom part of the Greenland Ice Core Project and the Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 ice cores, J. Geophys. Res., 102, 26547–26557, https://doi.org/10.1029/97JC00164, 1997.
Christianson, K., Jacobel, R. W., Horgan, H. J., Alley, R. B., Anandakrishnan, S., Holland, D. M., and DallaSanta, K. J.: Basal conditions at the grounding zone of Whillans Ice Stream, West Antarctica, from ice-penetrating radar, J. Geophy. Res.-Earth, 121, 1954–1983, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JF003806, 2016.
Chu. W., Schroeder, D. M., Seroussi, H., Creyts, T. T., and Bell, R. E.: Complex basal thermal transition near the onset of Petermann Glacier, Greenland, J. Geophy. Res.-Earth, 123, 985–995, https://doi.org/10.1029/2017JF004561, 2018.
Chung, A., Parrenin, F., Steinhage, D., Mulvaney, R., Martín, C., Cavitte, M. G. P., Lilien, D. A., Helm, V., Taylor, D., Gogineni, P., Ritz, C., Frezzotti, M., O'Neill, C., Miller, H., Dahl-Jensen, D., and Eisen, O.: Stagnant ice and age modelling in the Dome C region, Antarctica, The Cryosphere, 17, 3461–3483, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3461-2023, 2023.
Crotti, I., Landais, A., Stenni, B., Bazin, L., Parrenin, F., Frezzotti, M., Ritterbusch, F., Lu, Z.-T., Jiang, W., Yang, G.-M., Fourré, E., Orsi, A., Jacob, R., Minster, B., Prié, F., Dreossi, G., and Barbante, C.: An extension of the TALDICE ice core age scale reaching back to MIS 10.1, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 266, 107078, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.107078, 2021.
Dahl-Jensen, D., Gundestrup, N. S., Keller, K., Johnsen, S. J., Gogineni, S. P., Allen, C. T., Chuah, T. S., Miller, H., Kipfstuhl, S., and Waddington, E. D.: A search in North Greenland for a new ice-core drill site, J. Glaciol., 43, 300–306, https://doi.org/10.3189/S0022143000003245, 1997.
Dansgaard, W., Clausen, H. B., Gundestrup, N., Hammer, C. U., Johnsen, S. F., Kristinsdottir, P. M., and Reeh, N.: A New Greenland Deep Ice Core, Science, 218, 1273–1277, 1982.
Dansgaard, W., Clausen, H. B., Gundestrup, N., Johnsen, S. J., and Rygner, C.: Dating and climatic interpretation of two deep Greenland ice cores, in: Greenland Ice Core: Geophysics, Geochemistry, and the Environment, vol. 33, edited by: Langway, C. C., Oeschger, H., and Dansgaard, W., American Geophysical Union, Washington, D. C., 71–76, https://doi.org/10.1029/GM033p0071, 1985.
Dome Fuji Ice Core Project Members: State dependence of climatic instability over the past 720 000 years from Antarctic ice cores and climate modeling, Sci. Adv., 3, e1600446, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1600446, 2017.
Dowdeswell, J. A. and Evans, S.: Investigations of the form and flow of ice sheets and glaciers using radio-echo sounding, Rep. Prog. Phys., 67, 1821–1861, https://doi.org/10.1088/0034-4885/67/10/R03, 2004.
Durand, G., Svensson, A., Persson, A., Gillct-Chaulc, F., Montagnat, M., and Dahl-Jensen, D.: Evolution of the texture along the EPICA Dome C ice core, Physics of Ice Core Records II: Papers collected after the 2nd International Workshop on Physics of Ice Core Records, 2–6 February 2007, Sapporo, Japan, 68, 91–105, http://hdl.handle.net/2115/45436 (last access: 7 August 2025), 2009.
Eichler, J.: C-axis analysis of the NEEM ice core, Master's Thesis, Freie Universitat, Berlin, Germany, 63 pp., https://doi.org/10013/epic.41621.d001, 2013.
Eisen, O., Wilhelms, F., Nixdorf, U., and Miller, H.: Revealing the nature of radar reflections in ice: DEP-based FDTD forward modeling, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30, 1218, https://doi.org/10.1029/2002GL016403, 2003.
Eisen, O., Hamann, I., Kipfstuhl, S., Steinhage, D., and Wilhelms, F.: Direct evidence for continuous radar reflector originating from changes in crystal-orientation fabric, The Cryosphere, 1, 1–10, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-1-1-2007, 2007.
Epifanio, J. A., Brook, E. J., Buizert, C., Edwards, J. S., Sowers, T. A., Kahle, E. C., Severinghaus, J. P., Steig, E. J., Winski, D. A., Osterberg, E. C., Fudge, T. J., Aydin, M., Hood, E., Kalk, M., Kreutz, K. J., Ferris, D. G., and Kennedy, J. A.: The SP19 chronology for the South Pole Ice Core – Part 2: gas chronology, Δage, and smoothing of atmospheric records, Clim. Past, 16, 2431–2444, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-2431-2020, 2020.
Fahnestock, M., Abdalati, W., Joughin, I., Brozena, J., and Gogineni, P.: High geothermal heat flow, basal melt, and the origin of rapid ice flow in Central Greenland, Science, 294, 2338–2342, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1065370, 2001.
Faria, S. H., Freitag, J., and Kipfstuhl, S.: Polar ice structure and the integrity of ice-core paleoclimate records, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 29, 338–351, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2009.10.016, 2010.
Faria, S. H., Weikusat, I., and Azuma, N.: The microstructure of polar ice. Part I: Highlights from ice core research, J. Struct. Geol., 61, 2–20, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2013.09.010, 2014.
Faria, S. H., Kipfstuhl, S., and Lambrecht, A.: The EPICA-DML Deep Ice Core: A Visual Record, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, Berlin, Heidelberg, 305 pp., https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-55308-4, 2018.
Fegyveresi, J. M. and Alley, R. B.: South Pole Ice Core (SPIcecore) Visual Observations, [data set], https://doi.org/10.15784/601088, 2018.
Fitzpatrick, J. J., Voigt, D. E., Fegyveresi, J. M., Stevens, N. T., Spencer, M. K., Cole-Dai, J., Alley, R. B., Jardine, G. E., Cravens, E. D., Wilen, L. A., Fudge, T. J., and Mcconnell, J. R.: Physical properties of the WAIS Divide ice core, J. Glaciol., 60, 1181–1198, https://doi.org/10.3189/2014JoG14J100, 2014.
Fudge, T. J., Taylor, K. C., Waddington, E. D., Fitzpatrick, J. J., and Conway, H.: Electrical stratigraphy of the WAIS Divide ice core: identification of centimeter-scale irregular layering, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 121, 1218–1229, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JF003845, 2016.
Fudge, T. J., Hills, B. H., Horlings, A. N., Holschuh, N., Christian, J. E., Davidge, L., Hoffman, A., O'Connor, G. K., Christianson, K., and Steig, E. J.: A site for deep ice coring at West Hercules Dome: results from ground-based geophysics and modeling, J. Glaciol., 69, 538–550, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2022.80, 2023.
Fujita, S., Maeno, H., Uratsuka, S., Furukawa, T., Mae, S., Fujii, Y., and Watanabe, O.: Nature of radio echo layering in the Antarctic Ice Sheet detected by a two-frequency experiment, J. Geophys. Res., 104, 13013–13024, https://doi.org/10.1029/1999JB900034, 1999.
Gerber, T. A., Lilien, D. A., Nymand, N. F., Steinhage, D., Eisen, O., and Dahl-Jensen, D.: Anisotropic Scattering in Radio-Echo Sounding: Insights from Northeast Greenland, EGUsphere [preprint], https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2276, 2024.
Gow, A. J. and Meese, D.: Physical properties, crystalline textures and c axis fabrics of the Siple Dome (Antarctica) ice core, J. Glaciol., 53, 573–584, https://doi.org/10.3189/002214307784409252, 2007.
Gow, A. J., Epstein, S., and Sheehy, W.: On the origin of stratified debris in ice cores from the bottom of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, J. Glaciol., 23, 185–192, https://doi.org/10.3189/S0022143000029828, 1979.
Gow, A. J., Meese, D. A., Alley, R. B., Fitzpatrick, J. J., Anandakrishnan, S., Woods, G. A., and Elder, B. C.: Physical and structural properties of the Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 ice core: a review, J. Geophys. Res., 102, 26559–26575, https://doi.org/10.1029/97JC00165, 1997.
Grootes, P. M., Steig, E. J., Stuiver, M., Waddington, E. D., Morse, D. L., and Nadeau, M.-J.: The Taylor Dome Antarctic 18O record and globally synchronous changes in climate, Quaternary Res., 56, 289–298, https://doi.org/10.1006/qres.2001.2276, 2001.
Hammer, C. U.: Acidity of polar ice cores in relation to absolute dating, past volcanism, and radio echoes, J. Glaciol., 24, 359–372, https://doi.org/10.3189/S0022143000015227, 1980.
Hamran, S., Aarholt, E., Hagen, J. O., and Mo, P.: Estimation of relative water content in a sub-polar glacier using surface-penetration radar, J. Glaciol., 42, 533–537, 1996.
Harrison, C. H.: Radio echo sounding of horizontal layers in ice, J. Glaciol., 12, 383–397, https://doi.org/10.3189/S0022143000031804, 1973.
Heister, A. and Scheiber, R.: Coherent large beamwidth processing of radio-echo sounding data, The Cryosphere, 12, 2969–2979, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2969-2018, 2018.
Howat, I. M., Porter, C., Smith, B. E., Noh, M.-J., and Morin, P.: The Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica, The Cryosphere, 13, 665–674, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-665-2019, 2019.
Jansen, D., Llorens, M.-G., Westhoff, J., Steinbach, F., Kipfstuhl, S., Bons, P. D., Griera, A., and Weikusat, I.: Small-scale disturbances in the stratigraphy of the NEEM ice core: observations and numerical model simulations, The Cryosphere, 10, 359–370, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-359-2016, 2016.
Johnsen, S. J., Clausen, H. B., Dansgaard, W., Gundestrup, N. S., Hammer, C. U., and Tauber, H.: The Eem stable isotope record along the GRIP ice core and its interpretation, Quaternary Res., 43, 117–124, https://doi.org/10.1006/qres.1995.1013, 1995.
Johnsen, S. J., Dahl-Jensen, D., Gundestrup, N., Steffensen, J. P., Clausen, H. B., Miller, H., Masson-Delmotte, V., Sveinbjörnsdottir, A. E., and White, J.: Oxygen isotope and palaeotemperature records from six Greenland ice-core stations: Camp Century, Dye-3, GRIP, GISP2, Renland and NorthGRIP, J. Quaternary Sci., 16, 299–307, https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.622, 2001.
Jouzel, J. and Masson-Delmotte, V.: Deep ice cores: the need for going back in time, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 29, 3683–3689, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2010.10.002, 2010.
Jouzel, J., Petit, J. R., Souchez, R., Barkov, N. I., Lipenkov, V. Ya., Raynaud, D., Stievenard, M., Vassiliev, N. I., Verbeke, V., and Vimeux, F.: More than 200 m of lake ice above subglacial Lake Vostok, Antarctica, Science, 286, 2138–2141, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.286.5447.2138, 1999.
Jouzel, J., Masson-Delmotte, V., Cattani, O., Dreyfus, G., Falourd, S., Hoffmann, G., Minster, B., Nouet, J., Barnola, J. M., Chappellaz, J., Fischer, H., Gallet, J. C., Johnsen, S., Leuenberger, M., Loulergue, L., Luethi, D., Oerter, H., Parrenin, F., Raisbeck, G., Raynaud, D., Schilt, A., Schwander, J., Selmo, E., Souchez, R., Spahni, R., Stauffer, B., Steffensen, J. P., Stenni, B., Stocker, T. F., Tison, J. L., Werner, M., and Wolff, E. W.: Orbital and millennial Antarctic climate variability over the past 800 000 years, Science, 317, 793–796, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1141038, 2007.
Karlsson, N. B., Binder, T., Eagles, G., Helm, V., Pattyn, F., Van Liefferinge, B., and Eisen, O.: Glaciological characteristics in the Dome Fuji region and new assessment for “Oldest Ice”, The Cryosphere, 12, 2413–2424, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2413-2018, 2018.
Karlsson, N. B., Razik, S., Hörhold, M., Winter, A., Steinhage, D., Binder, T., and Eisen, O.: Surface accumulation in Northern Central Greenland during the last 300 years, Ann. Glaciol., 61, 214–224, https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2020.30, 2020.
Kipfstuhl, S.: Visual Stratigraphy of the NEEM Ice Core with Linescanner, PANGAEA [data set], https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.743062, 2009.
Kluskiewicz, D., Waddington, E. D., Anandakrishnan, S., Voigt, D. E., Matsuoka, K., and McCarthy, M. P.: Sonic methods for measuring crystal orientation fabric in ice, and results from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide, J. Glaciol., 63, 603–617, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2017.20, 2017.
Landais, A., Chappellaz, J., Delmotte, M., Jouzel, J., Blunier, T., Bourg, C., Caillon, N., Cherrier, S., Malaizé, B., Masson-Delmotte, V., Raynaud, D., Schwander, J., and Steffensen, J. P.: A tentative reconstruction of the last interglacial and glacial inception in Greenland based on new gas measurements in the Greenland Ice Core Project (GRIP) ice core, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 108, 4563, https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JD003147, 2003.
Langway, C. C., Shoji, H., and Azuma, N.: Crystal size and orientation patterns in the Wisconsin-age ice from Dye 3, Greenland, Ann. Glaciol., 10, 109–115, https://doi.org/10.3189/S0260305500004262, 1988.
Leysinger Vieli, G. J.-M. C., Hindmarsh, R. C. A., and Siegert, M. J.: Three-dimensional flow influences on radar layer stratigraphy, Ann. Glaciol., 46, 22–28, 2007.
Lilien, D. A., Steinhage, D., Taylor, D., Parrenin, F., Ritz, C., Mulvaney, R., Martín, C., Yan, J.-B., O'Neill, C., Frezzotti, M., Miller, H., Gogineni, P., Dahl-Jensen, D., and Eisen, O.: Brief communication: New radar constraints support presence of ice older than 1.5 Myr at Little Dome C, The Cryosphere, 15, 1881–1888, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1881-2021, 2021.
Lindzey, L. E., Beem, L. H., Young, D. A., Quartini, E., Blankenship, D. D., Lee, C.-K., Lee, W. S., Lee, J. I., and Lee, J.: Aerogeophysical characterization of an active subglacial lake system in the David Glacier catchment, Antarctica, The Cryosphere, 14, 2217–2233, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2217-2020, 2020.
Lipenkov, V. Ya. and Raynaud, D.: The Mid-Pleistocene transition and the Vostok oldest ice challenge, Ice and Snow, 55, 95–106, https://doi.org/10.15356/2076-6734-2015-4-95-106, 2015.
Matsuoka, T., Fujita, S., and Mae, S.: Dielectric properties of ice containing ionic impurities at microwave frequencies, J. Phys. Chem. B, 101, 6219–6222, https://doi.org/10.1021/jp9631590, 1997.
Millar, D. H. M.: Acidity levels in ice sheets from radio echo-soundings, Ann. Glaciol., 3, 199–203, https://doi.org/10.3189/S0260305500002779, 1982.
Miyamoto, A., Weikusat, I., and Hondoh, T.: Complete determination of ice crystal orientation using Laue X-ray diffraction method, J. Glaciol., 57, 103–110, https://doi.org/10.3189/002214311795306754, 2011.
Mojtabavi, S., Wilhelms, F., Cook, E., Davies, S. M., Sinnl, G., Skov Jensen, M., Dahl-Jensen, D., Svensson, A., Vinther, B. M., Kipfstuhl, S., Jones, G., Karlsson, N. B., Faria, S. H., Gkinis, V., Kjær, H. A., Erhardt, T., Berben, S. M. P., Nisancioglu, K. H., Koldtoft, I., and Rasmussen, S. O.: A first chronology for the East Greenland Ice-core Project (EGRIP) over the Holocene and last glacial termination, Clim. Past, 16, 2359–2380, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-2359-2020, 2020.
Mojtabavi, S., Eisen, O., Franke, S., Jansen, D., Steinhage, D., Paden, J., Dahl-Jensen, D., Weikusat, I., Eichler, J., and Wilhelms, F.: Origin of englacial stratigraphy at three deep ice core sites of the Greenland Ice Sheet by synthetic radar modelling, J. Glaciol., 68, 799–811, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.137, 2022.
Montagnat, M., Buiron, D., Arnaud, L., Broquet, A., Schlitz, P., Jacob, R., and Kipfstuhl, S.: Measurements and numerical simulation of fabric evolution along the Talos Dome ice core, Antarctica, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 357–358, 168–178, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2012.09.025, 2012.
Montagnat, M., Azuma, N., Dahl-Jensen, D., Eichler, J., Fujita, S., Gillet-Chaulet, F., Kipfstuhl, S., Samyn, D., Svensson, A., and Weikusat, I.: Fabric along the NEEM ice core, Greenland, and its comparison with GRIP and NGRIP ice cores, The Cryosphere, 8, 1129–1138, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1129-2014, 2014.
Mouginot, J. and Rignot, E.: Glacier catchments/basins for the Greenland Ice Sheet, Dryad [data set], https://doi.org/10.7280/D1WT11, 2019.
Mulvaney, R., Rix, J., Polfrey, S., Grieman, M., Martìn, C., Nehrbass-Ahles, C., Rowell, I., Tuckwell, R., and Wolff, E.: Ice drilling on Skytrain Ice Rise and Sherman Island, Antarctica, Ann. Glaciol., 62, 311–323, https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2021.7, 2021.
Mutter, E. L. and Holschuh, N.: Replication Data for: Advancing interpretation of incoherent scattering in ice penetrating radar data used for ice core site selection, Harvard Dataverse [data set], https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/JAQJWZ, 2025.
NEEM Community Members: Eemian interglacial reconstructed from a Greenland folded ice core, Nature, 493, 489–494, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11789, 2013.
North Greenland Ice Core Project Members: High-resolution record of Northern Hemisphere climate extending into the last interglacial period, Nature, 431, 147–151, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature02805, 2004.
Nymand, N. F.: Radar investigation of the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream: Deriving the crystal orientation fabric, PhD thesis, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 130 pp., 2024.
Obbard, R. and Baker, I.: The microstructure of meteoric ice from Vostok, Antarctica, J. Glaciol., 53, 41–62, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756507781833901, 2007.
Oswald, G. K. A., Rezvanbehbahani, S., and Stearns, L. A.: Radar evidence of ponded subglacial water in Greenland, J. Glaciol., 64, 711–729, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2018.60, 2018.
Peters, M. E., Blankenship, D. D., and Morse, D. L.: Analysis techniques for coherent airborne radar sounding: Application to West Antarctic ice streams, J. Geophys. Res., 110, B06303, https://doi.org/10.1029/2004JB003222, 2005.
Petit, J. R., Jouzel, J., Raynaud, D., Barkov, N. I., Delaygue, G., Delmotte, M., Kotlyakov, V. M., Legrand, M., Lipenkov, V. Y., Lorius, C., and Saltzman, E.: Climate and atmospheric history of the past 420 000 years from the Vostok ice core, Antarctica, Nature, 399, 429–436, https://doi.org/10.1038/20859, 1999.
Porter, C., Morin, P., Howat, I., Noh, M.-J., Bates, B., Peterman, K., Keesey, S., Schlenk, M., Gardiner, J., Tomko, K., Willis, M., Kelleher, C., Cloutier, M., Husby, E., Foga, S., Nakamura, H., Platson, M., Wethington Jr., M., Williamson, C., Bauer, G., Enos, J., Arnold, G., Kramer, W., Becker, P., Doshi, A., D'Souza, C., Cummens, P., Laurier, F., and Bojesen, M.: ArcticDEM, V1, Harvard Dataverse [data set], https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/OHHUKH, 2018.
Raynaud, D., Barnola, J.-M., Souchez, R., Lorrain, R., Petit, J.-R., Duval, P., and Lipenkov, V. Y.: The record for marine isotopic stage 11, Nature, 436, 39–40, https://doi.org/10.1038/43639b, 2005.
Rignot, E., Jacobs, S., Mouginot, J., and Scheuchl, B.: Ice-shelf melting around Antarctica, Science, 341, 266–270, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1235798, 2013.
Ruth, U., Barnola, J.-M., Beer, J., Bigler, M., Blunier, T., Castellano, E., Fischer, H., Fundel, F., Huybrechts, P., Kaufmann, P., Kipfstuhl, S., Lambrecht, A., Morganti, A., Oerter, H., Parrenin, F., Rybak, O., Severi, M., Udisti, R., Wilhelms, F., and Wolff, E.: “EDML1”: a chronology for the EPICA deep ice core from Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, over the last 150 000 years, Clim. Past, 3, 475–484, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-3-475-2007, 2007.
Saruya, T., Fujita, S., Iizuka, Y., Miyamoto, A., Ohno, H., Hori, A., Shigeyama, W., Hirabayashi, M., and Goto-Azuma, K.: Development of crystal orientation fabric in the Dome Fuji ice core in East Antarctica: implications for the deformation regime in ice sheets, The Cryosphere, 16, 2985–3003, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2985-2022, 2022.
Saruya, T., Miyamoto, A., Fujita, S., Goto-Azuma, K., Hirabayashi, M., Hori, A., Igarashi, M., Iizuka, Y., Kameda, T., Ohno, H., Shigeyama, W., and Tsutaki, S.: Development of deformational regimes and microstructures in the deep sections and overall layered structures of the Dome Fuji ice core, Antarctica, EGUsphere [preprint], https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-3146, 2024.
Schroeder, D. M., Blankenship, D. D., Raney, R. K., and Grima, C.: Estimating subglacial water geometry using radar bed echo specularity: application to Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica, IEEE Geosci. Remote S., 12, 443–447, https://doi.org/10.1109/LGRS.2014.2337878, 2015.
Schroeder, D. M., Bingham, R. G., Blankenship, D. D., Christianson, K., Eisen, O., Flowers, G. E., Karlsson, N. B., Koutnik, M. R., Paden, J. D., and Siegert, M. J.: Five decades of radioglaciology, Ann. Glaciol., 61, 1–13, https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2020.11, 2020.
Souchez, R., Petit, J. R., Jouzel, J., Simões, J., De Angelis, M., Barkov, N., Stievenard, M., Vimeux, F., Sleewaegen, J., and Lorrain, R.: Highly deformed basal ice in the Vostok core, Antarctica, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29, 40-1–40-4, https://doi.org/10.1029/2001GL014192, 2002.
Stillman, D. E., MacGregor, J. A., and Grimm, R. E.: The role of acids in electrical conduction through ice, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 118, 1–16, https://doi.org/10.1029/2012JF002603, 2013.
Stoll, N., Westhoff, J., Bohleber, P., Svensson, A., Dahl-Jensen, D., Barbante, C., and Weikusat, I.: Chemical and visual characterisation of EGRIP glacial ice and cloudy bands within, The Cryosphere, 17, 2021–2043, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2021-2023, 2023.
Stoll, N., Weikusat, I., Jansen, D., Bons, P., Darányi, K., Westhoff, J., Llorens, M.-G., Wallis, D., Eichler, J., Saruya, T., Homma, T., Drury, M., Wilhelms, F., Kipfstuhl, S., Dahl-Jensen, D., and Kerch, J.: EastGRIP ice core reveals the exceptional evolution of crystallographic preferred orientation throughout the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream, EGUsphere [preprint], https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2653, 2024.
Svensson, A.: Visual stratigraphy of the North Greenland Ice Core Project (NorthGRIP) ice core during the last glacial period, J. Geophys. Res., 110, D02108, https://doi.org/10.1029/2004JD005134, 2005.
Takata, M., Iizuka, Y., Hondoh, T., Fujita, S., Fujii, Y., and Shoji, H.: Stratigraphic analysis of Dome Fuji Antarctic ice core using an optical scanner, Ann. Glaciol., 39, 467–472, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756404781813899, 2004.
Thorsteinsson, T., Kipfstuhl, J., and Miller, H.: Textures and fabrics in the GRIP ice core, J. Geophys. Res.-Oceans, 102, 26583–26599, https://doi.org/10.1029/97JC00161, 1997.
Tison, J.-L., de Angelis, M., Littot, G., Wolff, E., Fischer, H., Hansson, M., Bigler, M., Udisti, R., Wegner, A., Jouzel, J., Stenni, B., Johnsen, S., Masson-Delmotte, V., Landais, A., Lipenkov, V., Loulergue, L., Barnola, J.-M., Petit, J.-R., Delmonte, B., Dreyfus, G., Dahl-Jensen, D., Durand, G., Bereiter, B., Schilt, A., Spahni, R., Pol, K., Lorrain, R., Souchez, R., and Samyn, D.: Retrieving the paleoclimatic signal from the deeper part of the EPICA Dome C ice core, The Cryosphere, 9, 1633–1648, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1633-2015, 2015.
Turkeev, A. V., Vasilev, N. I., Lipenkov, V. Y., Bolshunov, A. V., Ekaykin, A. A., Dmitriev, A. N., and Vasilev, D. A.: Drilling the new 5G-5 branch hole at Vostok Station for collecting a replicate core of old meteoric ice, Ann. Glaciol., 62, 305–310, https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2021.4, 2021.
Verbeke, V., Lorrain, R., Johnsen, S. J., and Tison, J.-L.: A multiple-step deformation history of basal ice from the Dye 3 (Greenland) core: new insights from the CO2 and CH4 content, Ann. Glaciol., 35, 231–236, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756402781817248, 2002.
Wang, Y., Thorsteinsson, T., Kipfstuhl, J., Miller, H., Dahl-Jensen, D., and Shoji, H.: A vertical girdle fabric in the NorthGRIP deep ice core, North Greenland, Ann. Glaciol., 35, 515–520, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756402781817301, 2002.
Weikusat, I., Kipfstuhl, S., and Lambrecht, A.: Crystal c-axes (Fabric G20) of Ice Core Samples Collected from the EDML Ice Core with Links to Raw Data Files, [data set], https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.807207, 2013.
Weikusat, I., Jansen, D., Binder, T., Eichler, J., Faria, S. H., Wilhelms, F., Kipfstuhl, S., Sheldon, S., Miller, H., Dahl-Jensen, D., and Kleiner, T.: Physical analysis of an Antarctic ice core – towards an integration of micro- and macrodynamics of polar ice, Philos. T. Roy. Soc. A, 375, 20150347, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2015.0347, 2017.
Weikusat, I., Westhoff, J., Kipfstuhl, S., and Jansen, D.: Visual stratigraphy of the EastGRIP ice core (14 m–2021 m depth, drilling period 2017–2019), PANGAEA [data set], https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.925014, 2020.
Westhoff, J.: Visual stratigraphy of the EastGRIP ice core: of the lost ice core orientation, deformation structures, extreme warm events, and trapped ancient air, PhD thesis, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 136 pp., 2021.
Wilson, C. J. L., Russell-Head, D. S., and Sim, H. M.: The application of an automated fabric analyzer system to the textural evolution of folded ice layers in shear zones, Ann. Glaciol., 37, 7–17, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756403781815401, 2003.
Winter, A., Steinhage, D., Arnold, E. J., Blankenship, D. D., Cavitte, M. G. P., Corr, H. F. J., Paden, J. D., Urbini, S., Young, D. A., and Eisen, O.: Comparison of measurements from different radio-echo sounding systems and synchronization with the ice core at Dome C, Antarctica, The Cryosphere, 11, 653–668, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-653-2017, 2017.
Winter, K., Woodward, J., Ross, N., Dunning, S. A., Hein, A. S., Westoby, M. J., Culberg, R., Marrero, S. M., Schroeder, D. M., Sugden, D. E., and Siegert, M. J.: Radar-detected englacial debris in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, Geophys. Res. Lett., 46, 10454–10462, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL084012, 2019.
Wolff, E. W.: Electrical stratigraphy of polar ice cores: principles, methods, and findings, in: Physics of Ice Core Records, International Symposium on Physics of Ice Core Records, 14–17 September 1998, Shikotsukohan, Hokkaido, Japan, 155–171, http://hdl.handle.net/2115/32467 (last access: 7 August 2025), 2000.
Wolff, E. W., Barbante, C., Becagli, S., Bigler, M., Boutron, C. F., Castellano, E., De Angelis, M., Federer, U., Fischer, H., Fundel, F., Hansson, M., Hutterli, M., Jonsell, U., Karlin, T., Kaufmann, P., Lambert, F., Littot, G. C., Mulvaney, R., Röthlisberger, R., Ruth, U., Severi, M., Siggaard-Andersen, M. L., Sime, L. C., Steffensen, J. P., Stocker, T. F., Traversi, R., Twarloh, B., Udisti, R., Wagenbach, D., and Wegner, A.: Changes in environment over the last 800 000 years from chemical analysis of the EPICA Dome C ice core, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 29, 285–295, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2009.06.013, 2010.
Short summary
Ice-penetrating radar is a technology that lets us see through ice sheets, capturing their organized, layered structure. But near the ice bottom, radar data are much more complicated, with signals that are disordered and often ignored. Here, we work to better understand these complex signals by comparing radar data to measurements of ice structure from ice cores. We show these signals reflect structural changes in the ice itself and can inform our search for ancient climate records.
Ice-penetrating radar is a technology that lets us see through ice sheets, capturing their...
