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Development of an impulse ice-radar for the use of thickness measurements of mountain glaciers

Research Project

Project/Area Number 12554015
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section展開研究
Research Field Meteorology/Physical oceanography/Hydrology
Research InstitutionHOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY

Principal Investigator

NARUSE Renji  Hokkaido University, Institute of Low Temperature Science, Associate Professor, 低温科学研究所, 助教授 (10002099)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) INAGAKI Masaharu  Walnut Ltd., Technical manager, 技術部長
MAENO Hideo  Communication Research Laboratory, Researcher, 地球環境計測部, 研究官
TAKEI Iwao  Hokuriku University, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lecturer, 薬学部, 講師 (70247477)
FUJITA Shuji  Hokkaido University, Faculty of Engineering, Instructor, 大学院・工学研究科, 助手 (30250476)
SHIRAIWA Takayuki  Hokkaido University, Institute of Low Temperature Science, Instructor, 低温科学研究所, 助手 (90235739)
松岡 健一  総合地球環境学研究所, 日本学術振興会特別研究員
曽根 敏雄  北海道大学, 低温科学研究所, 助手 (10222077)
Project Period (FY) 2000 – 2002
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2002)
Budget Amount *help
¥10,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥10,200,000)
Fiscal Year 2002: ¥1,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000)
Fiscal Year 2001: ¥2,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,000,000)
Fiscal Year 2000: ¥6,700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥6,700,000)
KeywordsIce radar / Glacier / Ground-penetrating radar / Impulse radar / Snow cover / Snow structure / Snow water equivalent / Ice thickness / インパルスレーダ / アサバスカ氷河 / 山岳氷河 / 内部反射層 / 氷厚測定 / 電波伝搬 / 低周波レーダ / 高周波レーダ / 積雪層構造
Research Abstract

We have developed a novel ice-penetrating radar system that can be carried on a backpack. Including batteries for a three-hour continuous measurement, the total weight is 13 kg. In addition, it operates reliably down to -25°C, has a low power consumption of 24 W, and is semi-waterproof. The system has a built-in-one controller with a high-brightness display for reading data quickly, a receiver with 12-bit digitizing, and a 1-kV pulse transmitter with time variance of the pulse amplitude of less than 0.2%. The optical communications between components provides low-noise data acquisition and allows synchronizing of the pulse transmission with sampling. Measurements with this system successfully illustrate 300-m deep bed topography of Athabasca Glacier, Canada, in summers 2001 and 2002.
To complement a technique to detect internal structures of seasonal snow-covers and glacier firn with ground-penetrating radar (GPR), we carried out calibration experiments and an observation of winter snow-cover (5.7 m thick dry snow with numerous ice layers) with an 800-MHz GPR. In particular, we aimed to discriminate periodic noise from radar echoes, which is inherent in GPR, and to obtain a relationship between the observed reflection strength and the magnitude of density contrasts. Experiments were made in the open space to evaluate noise levels and receiver characteristics of this system. Based on these, we removed noise from radar echoes in the snow-cover observation. We recognized numerous marked echoes in a noise-free radargram. Depths of these echoes coincided roughly with those of large density contrasts observed in the snow-pit. Thus, we argue that the echoes correspond to thin ice layers. Furthermore, the minimum density contrasts to be detected by this GPR are found to vary from about 100 to 250 kg m"3 with the depth from 1 to 6 m in the seasonal snow-cover.

Report

(4 results)
  • 2002 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report Summary
  • 2001 Annual Research Report
  • 2000 Annual Research Report
  • Research Products

    (13 results)

All Other

All Publications (13 results)

  • [Publications] Kenichi Matsuoka: "Field-performance tests of a portable low-frequency ice-penetrating radar and a ground-penetrating radar at Athabasca Glacier, Canadian Rockies."Bulletin of Glaciological research. Vol.20. 49-55 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Kenichi Matsuoka: "A novel backpackable ice-penetrating radar system."Journal of Glaciology, Instruments and methods. (submitted).

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] 竹井巖: "雪試料の誘電的性質における経時変化と温度特性"雪氷. 65巻6号. 511-522 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] 竹井巖: "雪の誘電的性質-密度および含水率との関係-"雪氷北信越. 23号. 17-20 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Tatsuya Yamamoto: "Observation of internal structures of snow covers with a ground-penetrating radar."Annals of Glaciology. 38(印刷中). (2004)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] 山本竜也: "地中探査レーダによる積雪内部層構造と積雪水当量の推定"雪氷. 66巻1号. 27-34 (2004)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Kenichi Matsuoka: "Field-performance tests of a portable low-frequency ice-penetrating radar and a ground-penetrating radar at Athabasca Glacier, Canadian Rockies"Bulletin of Glaciological Research. 20. 49-55 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Kenichi Matsuoka: "A novel backpackable ice-penetrating radar system"Journal of Glaciology, Instruments and methods. (submitted).

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Iwao Takei: "Sintering process and temperature dependence of the dielectric behavior of snow samples"Seppyo. 65, No. 6 (in Japanse with English Abstract). 511-522 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Tatsuya Yamamoto: "Observation of internal structures of snow covers with a ground-penetrating radar"Annals of Glaciology. 38 (in press). (2004)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Tatsuya Yamamoto: "Investigations of internal structure of snow-cover and snow water equivalent with ground-penetrating radar"Seppyo. 66, No. 1 (in Japanse with English Abstract). 27-34 (2004)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] MATSUOKA, K.: "Field-performance tests of a portable low-frequency ice-penetrating radar and a ground-penetrating radar at Athabasca Glacier, Canadian Rockies"Bulletin of Glaciological Research. 20. 49-55 (2003)

    • Related Report
      2002 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 山本竜也: "地中探査レーダによる積雪内部構造の把握"2001年度日本雪氷学会全国大会講演予稿集. 33 (2001)

    • Related Report
      2001 Annual Research Report

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Published: 2000-04-01   Modified: 2016-04-21  

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