Project Grant 2535114

The National Science Foundation Division of Polar Programs awarded the University of Washington $759,968 on September 1, 2026, under the Polar Programs assistance listing (CFDA 47.078) to investigate the formation, evolution, and deformation of the basal ice unit in the Antarctic Ice Sheet using ice-penetrating radar data.

The project will map basal ice unit characteristics—the distinct layer immediately above the Antarctic bed that lacks visible internal reflections—by examining thickness patterns across existing radar datasets and comparing measurements from radar systems with different center frequencies to assess effects of vertical resolution and signal attenuation. The team will evaluate thickness patterns against ice-flow conditions, subglacial topography and roughness, geothermal setting, subglacial hydrology, and geology to test competing formation hypotheses and address two primary research questions: what causes the loss of traceable englacial reflections within the basal ice unit, and how does this unit deform relative to overlying stratigraphic ice.

In parallel, the project will expand the open-source QIceRadar platform with georeferenced delineation tools and standardized data formats to enable researchers to share and reuse their delineations across the research community. The work includes undergraduate training in geospatial analysis, scientific programming, and Antarctic geophysics.

Performance occurs at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2029. The University of Washington Office of Sponsored Programs administers the award as the recipient.