Spatial characterization of near-surface structure and meltwater runoff conditions across the Devon Ice Cap from dual-frequency radar reflectivity

Abstract

Abstract. Melting and refreezing processes in the firn of the Devon Ice Cap control meltwater infiltration and runoff across the ice cap, but their full spatial extent and effect on near-surface structure is difficult to measure with surface-based traverses or existing satellite remote sensing. Here, we derive the coherent component of the near-surface return from airborne ice-penetrating radar surveys over the Devon Ice Cap, Canadian Arctic, to characterize firn containing centimeter- to meter-thick ice layers (i.e., ice slabs) formed from refrozen meltwater in firn. We assess the use of dual-frequency airborne ice-penetrating radar to characterize the spatial and vertical near-surface structure of the Devon Ice Cap by leveraging differences in range resolution of the radar systems. Comparison with reflectivities using a thin layer reflectivity model, informed by surface-based radar and firn core measurements, indicates that the coherent component is sensitive to the near-surface firn structure composed of quasi-specular ice and firn layers, limited by the bandwidth-constrained radar range resolution. Our results suggest that average ice slab thickness throughout the Devon Ice Cap percolation zone ranges from 4.2 to 5.6 m. This implies conditions that can enable lateral meltwater runoff and potentially contribute to the total surface runoff routed through supraglacial rivers down glacier. Together with the incoherent component of the surface return previously studied, our dual-frequency approach provides an alternative method for characterizing bulk firn properties, particularly where high-resolution radar data are not available.