Continuous measurement of sea ice freeboard with tide gauges and GNSS interferometric reflectometry

Abstract

Sea ice thickness is an important climate indicator and is often monitored in the form of freeboard or total freeboard (with snow cover) using satellite altimetry. However, satellites often have a long revisit interval and freeboard measurements in coastal areas can be challenged by land, deformed ice and limited leads. Using a combination of tide gauge for sea level measurements and a coastal GNSS station for sea ice or snow surface height measurements based on GNSS interferometric reflectometry (GNSS-IR), I demonstrate freeboard measurements with high temporal resolution (hourly). In a 4.5-year period from late 2016 to middle 2021, freeboards measured with this method at Cape Roberts, western Ross Sea in Antarctica exhibit a clear annual cycle of ice growth and ablation in the range of ~0–40 cm, and a rapid decrease occurring in Antarctic summer when ocean water temperature increases abruptly. For places where the amplitudes of long-term tides are significantly smaller than the range of annual freeboard variation, GNSS-IR can independently measure both tides and freeboards. Compared to conventional sea ice thickness or freeboard measurements, the tide gauge and GNSS-IR combination method is safe, inexpensive, can distinguish spatial variation of freeboard over a distance of tens to hundreds of meters, and allows continuous monitoring of an area of a few square kilometers.