Autonomous FMCW radar survey of Antarctic shear zone

Abstract

Abstract-Radar survey of the Antarctic shear zone was conducted using an ultra-wideband (2-10 GHz) frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar. The radar was mounted on a sled and pulled by a robot that was specifically designed to operate in a harsh polar environment. Our FMCW radar had good penetration through Antarctic snow and we observed snow stratigraphy to a depth of 20 m. The radar images also revealed multiple crevasses in the shear zone. Our results demonstrate that autonomous survey using high frequency radar is feasible and safe approach for detecting hidden crevasses.

La tecnología wavelets en el desarrollo de equipos de sondeo terrestre

“…Aunque la tecnología electrónica necesaria para llevar a cabo estos sistemas evoluciona constantemente, en las últimas décadas la llegada del radar de penetración (gpr) ha dado lugar a la revolución multidisciplinar en el campo de la detección de objetos enterrados con una amplia aplicación en áreas tales como la arqueología [1], la geología [2] y la industria militar (detección de minas) [3]. Uno de los principales retos en los sistemas GPR, más allá de la mera detección de objetos enterrados, es reunir información sobre la composición de los objetos o el medio ambiente que los rodea.…”

“…-chave: wavelet; sondagem terrestre; sinais; terreno; penetração; top-down Facultad de Ciencias Básicas ■ Vol. 16(2) …”

Ground-penetrating radar profiles of the McMurdo shear zone, Antarctica, acquired with an unmanned rover : interpretation of crevasses, fractures, and folds within firn and marine ice

“…Although open crevasses have never been observed within our study area during flights across the SZ, snow bridges can be as thin as 0.3 m (Delaney et al, 1995;Arcone et al, 1996). Based on our polar experience with robotics (Ray et al, 2004(Ray et al, , 2005(Ray et al, , 2007Lever et al, 2006aLever et al, , 2006bLever et al, , 2013Lever and Ray, 2008), success with robot-towed GPR (Koh et al, 2010) just off the SZ safe-crossing road, and in imaging the firn and meteoric ice shelf thickness where the SZ transitions to the McMurdo Ice Shelf (McMIS; Arcone and Laatsch, 2004), we used low-ground-pressure, robotically towed GPR to survey a gridded, 28 km 2 area. We guided our battery-powered robot (named Yeti; Lever et al, 2013) by programmed global positioning system (GPS) coordinates along 100 evenly spaced transects; here, we present results taken from 10 consecutive ones over 2.5 km 2 , and from five spaced south to north over most of the grid.…”

HF Wire-Mesh Dipole Antennas for Broadband Ice-Penetrating Radar

“…However, since the antenna size tends to increase as the radar frequency is reduced, integration of an HF/VHF radar system with an autonomous rover presents an engineering challenge -particularly if the system is to be used in areas with complex surface topography. Because existing autonomous rovers have been developed for use across various scientific missions, GPR have often been deployed as towed payloads [11], [12] rather than directly integrated on to the rover.…”