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(photos: JPL/NASA/MSSC)

Terrestrial analogs of Martian
radar targets from the Dry Valleys, Antarctica

 

Ice-Penetrating Radar
This is a photo over Taylor Glacier from the UTIG's 2000-2001 field season.  That red thing on the right side of the picture is a radar antenna used for transmitting and receiving radar signals.

Ice-Penetrating Radar is a kind of radar used by The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) to analyze surface topography, ice/bedrock interfaces, ice/water interfaces, melting rates of ice, ice thickness, underground lakes, etc.  Like all types of radar, ice penetrating radar emits a radio or microwave frequency signal.  This signal is pulsed and is strong enough to penetrate the ice surface and come in contact with beds below the ice.  This way it is easy to tell what is below the ice surface.

This horrible drawing shows what happens with ice penetrating radar.  The blue lines indicate the signal that took the path that leads to the receiving antenna.  The red lines indicate the scatter of the signals that don't get picked up by the receiving antenna.
Interpreting Ice-Penetrating Radar Data

 

Radar Equipment Pictures Radar Airplane Radar in use
Ice on the Antennas Technical Equipment Over the Ocean

 

Here is some radar data.

Radar Data
Data Over Mountains Huge Reflector Ice Crevasses Simple Data

 

How Radar Works
Back to the main radar page