Antarctic Ice Sheet Geophysical Profiles from ICECAP Airborne Missions

EAGLE/ICECAP II provides geolocated, time-registered geophysical observations from airborne surveys over Antarctica in 2015/16 and 2016/17. The dataset includes surface and bed elevation, ice thickness, gravity disturbance, and magnetic anomaly profiles. Data were collected by the International Collaborative Exploration of the Cryosphere through Airborne Profiling (ICECAP) collaboration, funded by multiple international organizations.

Use Cases

• Model subglacial bathymetry by analyzing gravity disturbance profiles to infer density contrasts between water and bedrock.
• Track ice shelf thinning over time using repeat-track laser altimetry surface elevation profiles.
• Estimate depth to crystalline bedrock for geological studies using magnetic anomaly profiles.
• Map ice geometry and identify subglacial water features from radar-derived ice thickness and bed elevation profiles.

Strengths

• Data collected during two dedicated field seasons (ICP7 and ICP8) providing temporal coverage.
• Includes multiple synchronized geophysical measurements (magnetic, gravity, altimetry, radar) per location.
• Data are derived from processed L0 and L1B sources, indicating a level of quality control.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, file sizes, and spatial extents for each data type are not provided.
• Data collection ended in 2017, limiting analysis of recent cryospheric changes.
• Data format is described as space-delimited ASCII with detailed headers, which may require custom parsing.

Provenance

Source

International Collaborative Exploration of the Cryosphere through Airborne Profiling (ICECAP), with data managed by the Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AU_AADC).

Collection Method

Airborne profiling surveys collecting magnetic, gravity, laser altimetry, and ice-penetrating radar measurements.

Time Range

2015/16 to 2016/17.

Freshness

null

Geography

Antarctica, specific regions surveyed by the ICECAP collaboration.