Exploiting ambient noise in polar regions to study ice-ocean interactions

We explore recent developments and future directions for ambient noise cryology: the study of ice-ocean interactions using their underwater noise signatures. The study of ice-ocean interactions is currently spurred by climatic shifts in polar regions and their implications, which include sea level rise and geopolitical stability. There are many important ice-ocean interactions, and a broad range of observational techniques are used to study them, such as satellite remote sensing, ship-based observations with in situ sensors and AUV’s, boreholes, ground-penetrating radar, photogrammetry, seismometry, and differential GPS. Despite such an extensive suite of techniques, submarine calving and ice melting—which play a critical role in the mass balance of ice shelves and marine-terminating glaciers—remain difficult to measure. Progress in quantifying these processes with their underwater noise signatures will be discussed along with future directions for the field.