Abstract: Ice radar is the main technical means for detecting polar ice and snow. It provides important basic observational data for studying the geometric characteristics, internal structure, subglacial topography and environment of polar ice and snow. In the 1950s, humans first discovered that electromagnetic waves in specific frequency bands could “penetrate” the Antarctic ice sheet, and in the 1960s developed an ice radar system for the detection of polar ice sheets under ice. Over the past 60 years, with the development of computers, electronic information, and satellite positioning and navigation technology, the research on ice radar technology has achieved rapidly developed, resulting in a diversified ice radar system suitable for the different detection requirements of polar ice sheet, sea ice and snow cover. Based on a brief review of the development of early ice radar technology, this paper reviews and summarizes the main progress over the past 10 years, in China and abroad, in three aspects: deep detection of polar ice sheets, shallow detection of polar ice sheets and sea ice, and new polar ice and snow detection ice radar technology. To meet needs for future research on the observation of polar ice sheets, sea ice, and snow cover, it will be necessary to further improve the performance of ice radar systems (including detection depth, cross-track resolution, and vertical resolution), develop small, low-power ice radar systems that meet the needs of new platforms (such as drones and satellites), and develop multi-channel, multi-frequency, multi-polarization integrated ice radar technology.

Key words:  ice radar, polar ice sheets, sea ice, ice thickness