Centre for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets

Centre for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets
Name	Centre for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets
Formation	1980s
Headquarters	University of Kansas / University of Kansas Center for Remote Sensing
Location	United States
Leader title	Director
Leader name	Richard C. Bales

Centre for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets is a research center focused on the observation, measurement, and modeling of polar and glacial ice using remote sensing technologies. The center integrates airborne, satellite, and ground-based observations to study ice dynamics, mass balance, and interactions with climate change drivers such as Greenland Ice Sheet variability, Antarctic ice sheet processes, and cryospheric contributions to sea level rise. It works with a network of institutions, agencies, and funded programs to advance polar science and operational monitoring.

History

The center emerged during expanded polar research in the late 20th century alongside programs such as NASA, National Science Foundation, European Space Agency, and national polar programs. Early development paralleled campaigns by Scott Polar Research Institute, Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, and the British Antarctic Survey. Foundational technology transfers involved groups including Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Ames Research Center, and laboratories at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Collaborations during the 1990s and 2000s connected the center with projects at University of Alaska Fairbanks, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Washington, and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

Mission and Objectives

The center's mission aligns with priorities set by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and national polar strategies to quantify ice sheet change. Objectives emphasize advancing sensor development with partners such as Ball Aerospace, Raytheon, and Lockheed Martin, improving process understanding in coordination with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and enhancing numerical models used by groups like National Center for Atmospheric Research, British Antarctic Survey, and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. The center also supports data dissemination for users at European Commission institutions, Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, and regional observatories.

Research Programs

Programs span interdisciplinary themes present in initiatives led by NASA Operation IceBridge, CryoSat, ICESat, and International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration. Research areas include ice-sheet mass balance studies connected to GRACE data, glaciological process studies paralleling work at Scott Polar Research Institute, and predictive modeling similar to efforts by Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Max Planck Institute for Meteorology. Specific programs integrate expertise from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, and the British Antarctic Survey to address ice-ocean interactions, surface melt processes, and subglacial hydrology.

Instrumentation and Methods

The center develops and employs instruments and methodologies used by groups such as University of Kansas Center for Remote Sensing, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, European Space Agency, and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Techniques include airborne radar echo sounding in cooperation with teams from Scottish Association for Marine Science and Australian Antarctic Division, laser altimetry akin to ICESat-2, interferometric synthetic aperture radar comparable to Sentinel-1 missions, gravimetry similar to GRACE Follow-On, and ground-penetrating radar used by Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center. Instrument platforms include collaborations with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration aircraft, Royal Air Force support in some campaigns, and logistics from Antarctic Logistics Centre International.

Field Campaigns and Data Collection

Field campaigns have been coordinated with polar programs such as Operation Deep Freeze, Antarctic Treaty System logistics, and United States Antarctic Program. Data collection protocols parallel those of NASA Operation IceBridge, European Space Agency CryoSat campaigns, and cooperative efforts with Norwegian Polar Institute and Alfred Wegener Institute. Campaigns utilize icebreaker support similar to RRS Sir David Attenborough, helicopter and fixed-wing operations used by Scott Polar Research Institute expeditions, and autonomous sensor deployments comparable to Arctic Observing Network components.

Key Findings and Contributions

Contributions align with major discoveries reported by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments and research from National Snow and Ice Data Center, including refined estimates of mass loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet and Antarctic outlet glaciers such as Thwaites Glacier. The center has provided datasets that complement satellite missions like ICESat, CryoSat-2, and GRACE, informing studies by Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory on sea level contributions. Work has advanced understanding of ice-stream dynamics analogous to findings from British Antarctic Survey and Byrd Polar Research Center investigations into basal sliding and meltwater routing.

Collaborations and Partnerships

The center partners with international and national organizations including NASA, National Science Foundation, European Space Agency, Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, Canadian Space Agency, and research institutions such as Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, and Scott Polar Research Institute. Industry collaborations include Ball Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon. Multilateral projects involve International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration, Arctic Observing Network, and the Global Cryosphere Watch community.

Education and Outreach

Education initiatives mirror programs at University of Colorado Boulder, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Stanford University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology by offering student training, postdoctoral fellowships, and workshops. Outreach engages stakeholders connected to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, United Nations Environment Programme, and regional science organizations such as Polar Educators International and American Geophysical Union. Public-facing dissemination aligns with data portals maintained by National Snow and Ice Data Center, NOAA, and NASA to support policy makers and educators.

Category:Glaciology research institutes