Research
Detecting Greenland’s Buried Lakes: A Comparison of Synthetic Aperture Radar and Airborne Ice Penetrating Radar
Cornell Hydrology, Ice, and Radar Physics Lab
With Professor Riley Culberg and Undergraduate Student Jillian Steinmetz
Buried lakes—supraglacial lakes that refreeze over time and are buried by new snow—likely affect Greenland’s surface mass balance as they store meltwater for varying periods and can drain during winter, leading to changes in subglacial hydrology outside the melt season. However, analysis of these hydrologic features remains challenging due to the difficulty of accurately cataloging them. Buried lakes have been mapped with ice-penetrating radar, which can directly image the lake, but has limited spatial and temporal coverage. Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data have also been used to map putative buried lakes based on local changes in backscatter relative to the surrounding ice and firn. However, these SAR-derived maps have never been directly validated with ice-penetrating radar. This inhibits our understanding of the number of buried lakes and how much water they store on the Greenland ice sheet.
Here, we compare airborne ice-penetrating radar and SAR to understand SAR’s capabilities and limitations in identifying buried lakes. We first construct a dataset of buried lakes from the 2017 CReSIS Accumulation Radar data. For each lake, we record the lake lid thickness, water table reflectivity, and waveform abruptness as a proxy for lake lid roughness. After we locate the corresponding lakes in the SAR, we compare these ice-penetrating radar measurements to metrics that have been used to detect buried lakes using SAR including HH and HV backscatter, HH-HV backscatter, and the backscatter anomaly metric. We hypothesize that lakes with high reflectivity and low abruptness will be most detectable since a smooth water table will lead to low SAR backscatter that stands out compared to the surrounding firn and ice. Similarly, we expect SAR may not detect lakes where the lid is more than ~5 meters thick because the water table is deeper than the SAR penetration depth. By comparing these two radar systems, we can better characterize any sampling bias in SAR detections of buried lakes.
The above paper is a research proposal. Final paper is currently in production.
Assessing The Overlooked Influence of Women On The Progressive Environmentalist Movement
Under Peer Review with The Concord Review
During the early twentieth century, technological advancements in the home sphere resulted in a shifting of women’s role in society. Women, despite lacking suffrage, played a crucial role in raising awareness about environmental issues through clubs and organizations. The involvement of women in conservation efforts, exemplified by groups like the California Club and the Massachusetts Audubon Society, led to legislative successes for environmental conservation. However, the men who were the public face of these political initiatives received credit, while the women who were instrumental in driving the movement were often overlooked and forgotten. Women have and continue to be viewed as mere footnotes for the story of environmental activism in America. By acknowledging women’s role in conservation during the Progressive Era, we can ensure an equitable and successful environmental movement moving forward.
Sustainable Cement Production: Utilizing Seawater and Alternative Components to Reduce Freshwater Consumption
Published in International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology
Global cement production has skyrocketed by over 50-fold in the last 70 years: whereas in 1950 global cement production was approximately 80 million metric tons, today this number has surpassed 3 billion. This dramatic rise in cement production has had severe environmental consequences, including excessive water consumption and substantial CO2 emissions. Each metric ton of cement requires 1,200 to 1,500 liters of freshwater. Given the scarcity of freshwater in many regions, much of the water used in cement production comes from seawater, which must be desalinated—a process that is energy-intensive and results in significant carbon emissions. This reliance on desalination contributes to an estimated 6 million metric tons of CO2 emissions annually, further compounding the industry's already considerable carbon footprint.
After conducting more than 30 different experiments, we propose a new cement composition that has the potential to revolutionize cement production and drive the industry toward sustainability. This innovative formulation not only reduces the carbon footprint of the production process but also minimizes water usage, offering an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional cement.
Hydrological Dynamics of Greenland Lakes: Understanding The Process In Which Rapid Drainage Can Occur
Published in the Curieux Academic Journal and the Roaring Cubs Collective Journal
Understanding the hydrological dynamics of Greenland's lakes is crucial for comprehending the formation of supraglacial lakes and their significant impact on global sea level rise. Recent projections suggest that Greenland's contribution to sea level rise may increase by 1.5 times over the next few decades, highlighting the urgency of this research. This literature review synthesizes current findings on the interactions between glacial meltwater, lake formation, and drainage processes, providing insights into how water drains from these lakes. Furthermore, it discusses the implications of these dynamics in the context of climate change, emphasizing the importance of understanding these processes for predicting future sea level rise and its impacts on coastal communities and ecosystems.