The potential of synthetic aperture radar interferometry for assessing meltwater lake dynamics on Antarctic ice shelves

Abstract. Surface meltwater drains on several Antarctic ice shelves, resulting in surface and sub-surface lakes that are potentially critical for the shelf collapse. Despite these phenomena, our understanding assessment of drainage refreezing is limited, mainly due to lack field observations limitations optical satellite imagery during polar night cloudy conditions. This paper explores potential backscatter intensity interferometric coherence phase from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) as an alternative assess dynamics lakes. In four case study regions over Amery Roi Baudouin East Antarctica, we examine spatial temporal variations SAR (InSAR) derived Sentinel-1A/B C-band imagery. Throughout year, observed a completely frozen state, partially state with floating lid open-water Our analysis reveals lake delineation challenging melting period when contrast between snow indistinguishable. this finding, show using combination InSAR can be effectively captured other non-summertime months. Moreover, findings highlight utility InSAR-based discriminating refrozen indicate phase-based detection monitoring rapid events. The technique monitor change events is, however, strongly determined by revisit interval changes scattering properties snowfall or melt