ReSEC research PhD Student, Alicia Pouw, led a research paper, published in The Cryosphere Journal entitled “Mapping snow depth on Canadian sub-arctic lakes using ground-penetrating radar”.
Accurate measurement of snow depth on lake ice has long been a challenge, hindering the study of lake ice formation and growth. However, a recent study has utilized ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to map snow depth over four Canadian sub-arctic freshwater lakes with impressive results. Conducted along transects totaling approximately 44 km, GPR acquisitions provided high spatial resolution data, enabling researchers to estimate snow depth with remarkable precision. The study found that GPR-derived snow depths correlated well with in situ observations, with an average relative error of under 10%. By creating 1 m spatial resolution snow depth maps, this innovative approach offers a viable alternative to manual monitoring methods and opens new avenues for understanding the complex interactions between snow and lake ice. These findings have significant implications for the safety and well-being of northern communities and advancements in scientific modeling.
The paper can be downloaded here
