The improvement of the determination of the EM waves reflection coefficient at the ice/bedrock interface and therefore of the knowledge of the areas where water is present between the ice sheet and the underlying rocks, will be pursued through the analysis of the attenuation of radar signals with depth. This will be conducted both with techniques based on field data processing and with the study of the dependence of EM wave absorption from the thermal field.
This activity will be coupled with the numerical modelling of the kinematic and thermodynamic state of the ice sheet, to check the physical conditions that yield the fusion temperature at the base of the ice sheet. The comparison of the geophysical and geological data with the model outputs permits to assess the physical congruence of the data and to reduce the uncertainties on some parameters (Earth heat flow, coefficient of basal sliding, basal melt rate, etc.)
The applications will be mainly aimed to the Dome C-Vostok areas.