Polar Radar Science & Technology Conference 2021

The use of radar in polar science has significantly increased over the past two decades. This workshop will assess: 1) current and future science and logistical drivers for radar-data collection, 2) current commercial, modified, and user-specific radar systems, 3) ongoing radar technology research and development, 4) equipment and software community access models, 5) radar education and training needs and options, and 6) approaches to facilitating radar usage in the science and logistics community.

The workshop will deliver a white paper summarizing critical polar-science questions that drive radar needs as well as community interest and need in radar hardware, software, expertise, training, and education.

Ground-penetrating radar and related radar technologies are commonly used in polar environments for scientific research and logistical operations. Technical hardware and software research and development has broadened use of radar over the past few decades. Radar applications in polar regions include those in glaciology, permafrost and periglacial environments, near-surface geology and geomorphology, fluvial environments, and more.

The wide applicability of radar and regular development of new applications has resulted in a high demand for these systems. Unfortunately, radar systems are often expensive or cost-prohibitive for individual scientists. And it is challenging for a broad swath of potential end-users to gain access to radar instrumentation or software for research; to develop the in-house expertise to collect, analyze, and quantitatively interpret radar results; and to stay up to date in these methodologies, particularly if radar is used only as a tool to address a specific science question.

These trends underpin the need to assess the future options for radar within the polar science community.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.