Grounding Line Location using Echograms - CReSIS

o How is Glacier Goo Similar to a Real Glacier?
Engage (for students with some glaciology background):
• Complete an Internet search for glacier and ice sheet images
• Make a few predictions about glacial processes (formation, movement, etc.)
Q1) Sketch a glacier and label several parts.
Q2) What part of a glacier do you predict to flow the fastest? What may cause a glacier to speed up?
Q3) Give an example of a method or technology that researchers use to collect data about glaciers.
Explain:
Explore the ‘Echogram Background’ document. Make sure you are familiar with all the necessary information.
• Discuss different characteristics and features of the echogram and how to interpret.
This particular echogram was from the 2003 Greenland field campaign flown over Petermann Glacier in NW Greenland.
Q4) What characteristics of a glacier do you see in this echogram?
Q5) Describe how are you able to identify each characteristic?
Q6) Estimate the latitude and longitude of the grounding line.
Q7) What direction is the platform carrying the radar flying?
Explore:
• Using the Petermann Glacier echograms (PDF), first estimate the
approximate location of the groundling line from each of the two
2003 images and record in Table 1. Plot these coordinates in Google
Earth (Figure 2).
• Draw a line across the glacier connecting the two points of your
estimated grounding line.
• Plot the coordinates from the x-axis of the echogram and
determine which direction the plane was flying and record in Table
1. Make sure to carefully label the points from each echogram so as to not confuse them with other years.
• Repeat for each of the two 2007 images. You should have a total of 28 coordinates plotted.
Table 1 - Fill in coordinates for estimated grounding line locations.
2003 A
2003 B
2007 A
2007 B
Figure 2 - Coordinates from 2003A plotted in
Google Earth.
Latitude Longitude Flight Direction