Miller, Heinrich; Helm, Veit; Steinhage, Daniel (2026): ANT 1995/96 : AWI airborne Radio-Echo Sounding data over western Dronning Maund Land for the EPICA DML ice core site selection (EPICA project) [dataset]. PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.995486
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Published: 2026-06-17 • DOI registered: 2026-07-16
Abstract:
This dataset contains airborne radar data acquired using the AWI EMR system during the Antarctic season of 1995/96. The profiles extend across the western Dronning Maud around the EPICA DML ice core site. The data are available as netCDF files (including waveforms and metadata), KML files of the profile line locations, and quicklook images of the radargrams.
Keyword(s):
Related to:
Eisen, Olaf; Steinhage, Daniel; Franke, Steven; Helm, Veit; Binder, Tobias; Drews, Reinhard; Eagles, Graeme; Humbert, Angelika; Jansen, Daniela; Jokat, Wilfried; Lambrecht, Astrid; Mieth, Matthias; Riedel, Sven; Miller, Heinrich (2024): Collection of datasets from AWI's radio-echo sounding systems on ice sheets and glaciers [dataset bibliography]. PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.972094
Franke, Steven; Steinhage, Daniel; Helm, Veit; Binder, Tobias; Nixdorf, Uwe; Miller, Heinrich; Humbert, Angelika; Jansen, Daniela; Eagles, Graeme; Eisermann, Hannes; Jokat, Wilfried; Ruppel, Antonia; Drews, Reinhard; Zuhr, Alexandra; Driemel, Amelie; Walter, Andreas; Konopatzky, Peter; Heß, Robin; Haas, Antonie; Koppe, Roland; Andreas, Pascal H; Eisen, Olaf (2026): Review article: 30 years of airborne radar surveys on the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets by the Alfred Wegener Institute. The Cryosphere, 20(4), 2485-2530, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-2485-2026
Nixdorf, Uwe; Steinhage, Daniel; Meyer, Uwe F; Hempel, L; Jenett, Martin; Wachs, P; Miller, Heinrich (1999): The newly developed airborne radio-echo sounding system of the AWI as a glaciological tool. Annals of Glaciology, 29, 231-238, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756499781821346
Steinhage, Daniel (2001): Beiträge aus geophysikalischen Messungen in Dronning Maud Land, Antarktis, zur Auffindung eines optimalen Bohrpunktes für eine Eiskerntiefbohrung (Contributions of geophysical measurements in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, locating an optimal drill site for a deep ice core drilling). Berichte zur Polar- und Meeresforschung = Reports on Polar and Marine Research, 384, 91 pp, https://doi.org/10.2312/BzPM_0384_2001
Steinhage, Daniel; Nixdorf, Uwe; Meyer, Uwe F; Miller, Heinrich (1999): New maps of the ice thickness and subglacial topography in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, determined by means of airborne radio-echo sounding. Annals of Glaciology, 29, 267-272, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756499781821409
Steinhage, Daniel; Nixdorf, Uwe; Meyer, Uwe F; Miller, Heinrich (2001): Subglacial topography and internal structure of central and western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, determined from airborne radio echo sounding. Journal of Applied Geophysics, 47(3-4), 183-189, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0926-9851(01)00063-5
Additional metadata:
O2A Registry: Metadata for radar system Ice Thickness Radar 150 MHz at current version. Alfred Wegener Institut Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, https://registry.o2a-data.de/items/6794
Project(s):
Funding:
Fifth Framework Programme (FP5), grant/award no. EVK2-CT-2000-00077: European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica
Fourth Framework Programme (FP4), grant/award no. ENV4980702: European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica
Coverage:
Median Latitude: -73.221747 * Median Longitude: -7.038399 * South-bound Latitude: -74.847496 * West-bound Longitude: -9.748787 * North-bound Latitude: -70.645134 * East-bound Longitude: 4.168018
Date/Time Start: 1997-01-09T14:34:05 * Date/Time End: 1997-02-08T19:32:24
Event(s):
EPICA_II_01 * Latitude Start: -70.648773 * Longitude Start: -8.260707 * Latitude End: -70.645134 * Longitude End: -8.262885 * Date/Time Start: 1997-01-09T14:34:05 * Date/Time End: 1997-01-09T16:04:05 * Location: Weddell Sea * Campaign: EPICA_II * Basis: POLAR 2 * Method/Device: Aircraft (AC)
EPICA_II_02 * Latitude Start: -70.645531 * Longitude Start: -8.259775 * Latitude End: -74.204247 * Longitude End: -9.747202 * Date/Time Start: 1997-01-10T14:29:30 * Date/Time End: 1997-01-10T16:58:58 * Location: Weddell Sea * Campaign: EPICA_II * Basis: POLAR 2 * Method/Device: Aircraft (AC)
EPICA_II_03 * Latitude Start: -74.204506 * Longitude Start: -9.747795 * Latitude End: -74.204292 * Longitude End: -9.746960 * Date/Time Start: 1997-01-12T11:16:14 * Date/Time End: 1997-01-12T15:26:30 * Location: Weddell Sea * Campaign: EPICA_II * Basis: POLAR 2 * Method/Device: Aircraft (AC)
Comment:
Project PI: Heinrich Miller (AWI)
Contact persons for AWI Radio-echo sounding data: Daniel Steinhage (daniel.steinhage@awi.de), Veit Helm (veit.helm@awi.de), Olaf Eisen (olaf.eisen@awi.de)
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The netCDF files contain the following variables:
altitude: Platform altitude (WGS84) in meters
bed_elevation: Bed elevation for each trace (without applying a firn correction and permitivity of ice: 3.15) in meters
bed_pick: picked Bed location for each trace, expressed as twt in seconds from time zero
data: Radar data (Values in dBm after DC conversion)
data_agc: Scaled radar data using automatic gain control (AGC)
distance: Along-track distance in meters
ice_thickness: Ice thickness for each trace (without applying a firn correction and permitivity of ice: 3.15) in meters
lat: Latitude in decimal degrees (WGS84)
lon: Longitude in decimal degrees (WGS84)
range: Range between sensor and surface in meters
spacing: Along-track trace to trace spacing in meters
surface: Surface elevation derived from radar (WGS84) in meters
surface_pick: Picked surface reflection in two-way travel time in seconds
time: Seconds of day
twt: Two-way travel time (twt) in seconds
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The KML files are in EPSG:4326, and the quicklook images show the AGC product of the radargram.
Parameter(s):
| # | Name | Short Name | Unit | Principal Investigator | Method/Device | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Season | Season | Miller, Heinrich | |||
| 2 | Profile ID | Profile ID | Miller, Heinrich | |||
| 3 | Instrument | Instrument | Miller, Heinrich | |||
| 4 | Radar product | Radar prod | Miller, Heinrich | |||
| 5 | netCDF file | netCDF | Miller, Heinrich | Ice Thickness Radar radio-echo sounding RES [Nixdorf et al. 1999] | ||
| 6 | netCDF file (File Size) | netCDF (Size) | Bytes | Miller, Heinrich | Ice Thickness Radar radio-echo sounding RES [Nixdorf et al. 1999] | |
| 7 | GIS file | GIS | Miller, Heinrich | Ice Thickness Radar radio-echo sounding RES [Nixdorf et al. 1999] | KML Files | |
| 8 | Image | IMAGE | Miller, Heinrich | Ice Thickness Radar radio-echo sounding RES [Nixdorf et al. 1999] | Quicklook |
License:
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY-4.0)
Status:
Curation Level: Enhanced curation (CurationLevelC)
Size:
329 data points
Data
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