GPS-SIDS (Sea Ice Dry Snow) Ground-based Sea Ice Campaign in Disko Bay

Disko Bay is situated west of the Greenland coast. Near by the port of Godhavn (69.2717° N; 53.5435° W) a GPS Reflectometry setup was installed. On a cliff about 670 m above sea level, observations over the bay were recorded for several months (in winter season 2008/09). Regular changes of the ocean surface due to ocean tides and sea-ice coverage could be examined with reflection data. This study has been initiated by ESA connected to further measurements of dry snow properties at Dome-C, East Antarctica.


Within ESA- project GPS-SIDS (Sea Ice Dry Snow) the GOLD-RTR receiver from IEEC/CSIC Barcelona and the GORS receiver from GFZ have been deployed on the coast of Disko island, Western Greenland. Data was recorded in winter season 2008/2009. GFZ was in particular responsible for ionospheric TEC (Total Electron Content) measurements. Over the ocean in the south of Godhavn an area of 40 km² was observed. GNSS-R antenna were installed on a tower of Danish Telekom, in a height of ca. 700 m above mean sea-level. Results show ocean tides and sea-ice coverage in the observed area.

References:
Semmling, A. M. et al. „Detection of Arctic Ocean tides using interferometric GNSS-R signals“ Geophys. Res. Letters, 2011, 38, L04103.

Contact: Dr. Maximilian Semmling