Complex features with unknown glaciological origin in the ablation zone of Greenland

Abstract

In this study, we analyze unique low-backscatter features in the ablation zone of southwest Greenland using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data from both airborne and spaceborne sensors. Our observations, primarily from L-band and P-band SAR data, reveal convex patterns of low-backscatter areas, indicating potential subsurface structures rather than surface roughness or topographic variations. Through polarimetric and tomographic techniques, combined with Sounder data, we investigate scattering processes and the three-dimensional structure of these features. Observed to be temporally stable and moving in line with glacier flow, these findings may offer new insights into the dynamics of the ablation zone, contributing to improved ice sheet modeling and mass balance assessments.