Direct measurement of optical properties of glacier ice using a photon-counting diffuse LiDAR

Physicists from the University of Oregon’s Oregon Center for Optical Molecular and Quantum Science along with glaciologists from the Department of Geography as well as the Oregon Glacier Institute spent the last year developing a new measurement technique to investigate the properties of glacier ice. In the new measurement, laser pulses are injected into the glacier, and the photon’s arrival time is measured a few feet away. The measurement provides access to information like the density and porosity of the ice as well as contained impurities. This information can be used to develop physical models for glacier melt. This is not only important on the big ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica but also on the small glaciers in Oregon, which are important for stabilizing stream flows and in the dry summer months. The glacier melt also provides cold water to Oregon’s rivers, which is important for the survival of migratory fish species.