valeriadibiase/FirnAquifers_GRL: Probability of Firn Aquifer Presence in Antarctica by Combining Remote Sensing and Regional Climate Model Data - repository

This is the repository of the manuscript: Probability of Firn Aquifer Presence in Antarctica by Combining Remote Sensing and Regional Climate Model Data submitted to AGU-GRL

Authors: V. Di Biase, P. Kuipers Munneke, S. B. M. Veldhuijsen, S. de Roda Husman, M. R. van den Broeke, B. Noël, L. G. Buth and B. Wouters 

Abstract: Despite the identification of Antarctic firn aquifers in specific locations through in situ observations, a comprehensive continent-wide mapping of their distribution is currently lacking. We present an estimate of their distribution across Antarctica in the form of a probability assessment using a Monte Carlo technique. Our approach involves a novel methodology that integrates observations from Sentinel-1 and Advanced SCATterometer (ASCAT) with output from a regional climate model. To validate our findings, we conduct an extensive comparison with Operation Ice Bridge observations from the Greenland Ice Sheet. Application to Antarctica reveals high aquifer probabilities in the Antarctic Peninsula (AP), particularly along its northern, northwestern, and western coastlines, as well as on the Wilkins, Müller, and part of George VI ice shelves. Outside the AP, our method excludes the possibility of aquifer presence, except for some locations with marginally higher probabilities, such as on the Abbot, Holmes, and Shackleton ice shelves.

Release v2.0.0 (2024/06/04).