Instrument

MCoRDS
Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder

The Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder (MCoRDS) is an airborne radar developed by the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) at the University of Kansas. It is a multichannel radar sounder that is used to measure ice sheet thickness and map ice subsurface layers to depths exceeding 4km. It operates across the 150 to 450 MHz frequency range and has a sampling frequency of up to 1.6 GHz. MCoRDS has a vertical resolution ranging from about 60 cm to about 20 m, depending on the frequency range and flight altitude.

NASA's DC-8 flying laboratory passes Antarctica's tallest peak, Mount Vinson, on Oct. 22, 2012, during a flight over the continent to measure changes in the massive ice sheet and sea ice. Credit: NASA/Michael Studinger (Photography courtesy NASA Images)

Overview

Instrument Details

Measurement Type

Radar

Measurement/Variables

Earth Science > Cryosphere > Glaciers/ice Sheets > Glacier Thickness/ice Sheet Thickness

Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Radar Imagery

Earth Science > Cryosphere > Glaciers/ice Sheets

Earth Science > Terrestrial Hydrosphere > Glaciers/ice Sheets > Glacier Thickness/ice Sheet Thickness

Earth Science > Terrestrial Hydrosphere > Glaciers/ice Sheets

Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar

Vertical Measurement Regions

Land Surface

Temporal Resolution

up to 1.6 GHz

Spatial Resolution

0.6-20 m

Measurement Frequency

150-450 MHz

Calibration Details

Currently unavailble

Online Information

https://airbornescience.nasa.gov/instrument/Multichannel_Coherent_Radar_Depth_Sounder

Lead Investigator
Carl Leuschen
Technical Contact
Carl Leuschen
Instrument Maker
CReSIS
Funding Source
Currently unavailable
Overview Publications
Currently unavailable
Repository
- National Snow and Ice Data Center DAAC (NSIDC DAAC)

Instrument Operation

Platform

Campaigns, where the platform was used with this instrument

DC-8

Douglas DC-8

40 Campaigns · 175 Instruments

IceBridge

Operation IceBridge

2009—2021

Greenland, Antarctica, Alaska, Arctic Sea

view all deployment dates

Deployment Dates

Start Date	End Date
2009-10-16	2010-02-16
2009-03-31	2009-06-02
2009-08-19	2009-09-06
2010-03-22	2010-05-26
2010-08-21	2010-08-29
2010-10-20	2011-02-26
2011-03-16	2011-05-30
2011-08-16	2011-09-12
2011-10-07	2011-12-23
2012-03-14	2012-05-24
2012-08-14	2012-08-30
2012-10-12	2013-01-26
2013-03-20	2013-05-28
2013-06-17	2013-08-30
2013-10-31	2013-11-14
2013-11-19	2013-11-28
2014-03-12	2014-05-24
2014-08-19	2014-08-23
2014-10-16	2014-11-22
2015-03-19	2015-05-22
2015-08-20	2015-08-29
2015-09-22	2015-10-29
2015-09-23	2015-10-22
2016-04-19	2016-05-28
2016-07-13	2016-09-15
2016-10-14	2016-11-18
2017-03-09	2017-05-31
2017-07-17	2017-09-20
2017-10-29	2017-12-16
2018-03-22	2018-05-30
2018-08-17	2018-08-29
2018-10-10	2018-11-16
2019-04-03	2019-05-16
2019-09-04	2019-09-28
2019-10-23	2019-11-20
2020-05-21	2020-06-13
2021-05-02	2021-05-13

· 79 Data Products

P-3

P-3 Orion

22 Campaigns · 135 Instruments

IceBridge

Operation IceBridge

2009—2021

Greenland, Antarctica, Alaska, Arctic Sea

view all deployment dates

Deployment Dates

Start Date	End Date
2009-10-16	2010-02-16
2009-03-31	2009-06-02
2009-08-19	2009-09-06
2010-03-22	2010-05-26
2010-08-21	2010-08-29
2010-10-20	2011-02-26
2011-03-16	2011-05-30
2011-08-16	2011-09-12
2011-10-07	2011-12-23
2012-03-14	2012-05-24
2012-08-14	2012-08-30
2012-10-12	2013-01-26
2013-03-20	2013-05-28
2013-06-17	2013-08-30
2013-10-31	2013-11-14
2013-11-19	2013-11-28
2014-03-12	2014-05-24
2014-08-19	2014-08-23
2014-10-16	2014-11-22
2015-03-19	2015-05-22
2015-08-20	2015-08-29
2015-09-22	2015-10-29
2015-09-23	2015-10-22
2016-04-19	2016-05-28
2016-07-13	2016-09-15
2016-10-14	2016-11-18
2017-03-09	2017-05-31
2017-07-17	2017-09-20
2017-10-29	2017-12-16
2018-03-22	2018-05-30
2018-08-17	2018-08-29
2018-10-10	2018-11-16
2019-04-03	2019-05-16
2019-09-04	2019-09-28
2019-10-23	2019-11-20
2020-05-21	2020-06-13
2021-05-02	2021-05-13

· 79 Data Products

C-130

C-130 Hercules

17 Campaigns · 90 Instruments

IceBridge

Operation IceBridge

2009—2021

Greenland, Antarctica, Alaska, Arctic Sea

view all deployment dates

Deployment Dates

Start Date	End Date
2009-10-16	2010-02-16
2009-03-31	2009-06-02
2009-08-19	2009-09-06
2010-03-22	2010-05-26
2010-08-21	2010-08-29
2010-10-20	2011-02-26
2011-03-16	2011-05-30
2011-08-16	2011-09-12
2011-10-07	2011-12-23
2012-03-14	2012-05-24
2012-08-14	2012-08-30
2012-10-12	2013-01-26
2013-03-20	2013-05-28
2013-06-17	2013-08-30
2013-10-31	2013-11-14
2013-11-19	2013-11-28
2014-03-12	2014-05-24
2014-08-19	2014-08-23
2014-10-16	2014-11-22
2015-03-19	2015-05-22
2015-08-20	2015-08-29
2015-09-22	2015-10-29
2015-09-23	2015-10-22
2016-04-19	2016-05-28
2016-07-13	2016-09-15
2016-10-14	2016-11-18
2017-03-09	2017-05-31
2017-07-17	2017-09-20
2017-10-29	2017-12-16
2018-03-22	2018-05-30
2018-08-17	2018-08-29
2018-10-10	2018-11-16
2019-04-03	2019-05-16
2019-09-04	2019-09-28
2019-10-23	2019-11-20
2020-05-21	2020-06-13
2021-05-02	2021-05-13

· 79 Data Products

BT-67

Basler BT-67

4 Campaigns · 13 Instruments

IceBridge

Operation IceBridge

2009—2021

Greenland, Antarctica, Alaska, Arctic Sea

view all deployment dates

Deployment Dates

Start Date	End Date
2009-10-16	2010-02-16
2009-03-31	2009-06-02
2009-08-19	2009-09-06
2010-03-22	2010-05-26
2010-08-21	2010-08-29
2010-10-20	2011-02-26
2011-03-16	2011-05-30
2011-08-16	2011-09-12
2011-10-07	2011-12-23
2012-03-14	2012-05-24
2012-08-14	2012-08-30
2012-10-12	2013-01-26
2013-03-20	2013-05-28
2013-06-17	2013-08-30
2013-10-31	2013-11-14
2013-11-19	2013-11-28
2014-03-12	2014-05-24
2014-08-19	2014-08-23
2014-10-16	2014-11-22
2015-03-19	2015-05-22
2015-08-20	2015-08-29
2015-09-22	2015-10-29
2015-09-23	2015-10-22
2016-04-19	2016-05-28
2016-07-13	2016-09-15
2016-10-14	2016-11-18
2017-03-09	2017-05-31
2017-07-17	2017-09-20
2017-10-29	2017-12-16
2018-03-22	2018-05-30
2018-08-17	2018-08-29
2018-10-10	2018-11-16
2019-04-03	2019-05-16
2019-09-04	2019-09-28
2019-10-23	2019-11-20
2020-05-21	2020-06-13
2021-05-02	2021-05-13

· 79 Data Products

G-V

Gulfstream-V

8 Campaigns · 37 Instruments

IceBridge

Operation IceBridge

2009—2021

Greenland, Antarctica, Alaska, Arctic Sea

view all deployment dates

Deployment Dates

Start Date	End Date
2009-10-16	2010-02-16
2009-03-31	2009-06-02
2009-08-19	2009-09-06
2010-03-22	2010-05-26
2010-08-21	2010-08-29
2010-10-20	2011-02-26
2011-03-16	2011-05-30
2011-08-16	2011-09-12
2011-10-07	2011-12-23
2012-03-14	2012-05-24
2012-08-14	2012-08-30
2012-10-12	2013-01-26
2013-03-20	2013-05-28
2013-06-17	2013-08-30
2013-10-31	2013-11-14
2013-11-19	2013-11-28
2014-03-12	2014-05-24
2014-08-19	2014-08-23
2014-10-16	2014-11-22
2015-03-19	2015-05-22
2015-08-20	2015-08-29
2015-09-22	2015-10-29
2015-09-23	2015-10-22
2016-04-19	2016-05-28
2016-07-13	2016-09-15
2016-10-14	2016-11-18
2017-03-09	2017-05-31
2017-07-17	2017-09-20
2017-10-29	2017-12-16
2018-03-22	2018-05-30
2018-08-17	2018-08-29
2018-10-10	2018-11-16
2019-04-03	2019-05-16
2019-09-04	2019-09-28
2019-10-23	2019-11-20
2020-05-21	2020-06-13
2021-05-02	2021-05-13