Ice Thickness Assessment of Non-Freshwater Lakes in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau Based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Borne Ice-Penetrating Radar: A Case Study of Qinghai Lake and Gahai Lake
Ice thickness has a significant effect on the physical and biogeochemical processes of a lake, and it is an integral focus of research in the field of ice engineering. The Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, known as the Third Pole of the world, contains numerous lakes. Compared with some information, such as...
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MDPI AG
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/16/6/959 |
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| author | Huian Jin Xiaojun Yao Qixin Wei Sugang Zhou Yuan Zhang Jie Chen Zhipeng Yu |
| author_facet | Huian Jin Xiaojun Yao Qixin Wei Sugang Zhou Yuan Zhang Jie Chen Zhipeng Yu |
| author_sort | Huian Jin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ice thickness has a significant effect on the physical and biogeochemical processes of a lake, and it is an integral focus of research in the field of ice engineering. The Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, known as the Third Pole of the world, contains numerous lakes. Compared with some information, such as the area, water level, and ice phenology of its lakes, the ice thickness of these lakes remains poorly understood. In this study, we used an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a 400/900 MHz ice-penetrating radar to detect the ice thickness of Qinghai Lake and Gahai Lake. Two observation fields were established on the western side of Qinghai Lake and Gahai Lake in January 2019 and January 2021, respectively. Based on the in situ ice thickness and the propagation time of the radar, the accuracy of the ice thickness measurements of these two non-freshwater lakes was comprehensively assessed. The results indicate that pre-processed echo images from the UAV-borne ice-penetrating radar identified non-freshwater lake ice, and we were thus able to accurately calculate the propagation time of radar waves through the ice. The average dielectric constants of Qinghai Lake and Gahai Lake were 4.3 and 4.6, respectively. This means that the speed of the radar waves that propagated through the ice of the non-freshwater lake was lower than that of the radio waves that propagated through the freshwater lake. The antenna frequency of the radar also had an impact on the accuracy of ice thickness modeling. The RMSEs were 0.034 m using the 400 MHz radar and 0.010 m using the 900 MHz radar. The radar with a higher antenna frequency was shown to provide greater accuracy in ice thickness monitoring, but the control of the UAV’s altitude and speed should be addressed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T17:51:36Z |
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| id | doaj.art-55a579730ffb4ef1bbb1ed9bc41cb53c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T17:51:36Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
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| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-55a579730ffb4ef1bbb1ed9bc41cb53c2024-03-27T14:02:28ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922024-03-0116695910.3390/rs16060959Ice Thickness Assessment of Non-Freshwater Lakes in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau Based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Borne Ice-Penetrating Radar: A Case Study of Qinghai Lake and Gahai LakeHuian Jin0Xiaojun Yao1Qixin Wei2Sugang Zhou3Yuan Zhang4Jie Chen5Zhipeng Yu6College of Forestry Engineering, Gansu Forestry Polytechnic, Tianshui 741020, ChinaCollege of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaGansu Monitoring Center for Ecological Resources, Lanzhou 730020, ChinaCollege of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, ChinaCollege of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaDalian Zhongrui Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd., Dalian 116000, ChinaQinghai Lake National Nature Reserve Administration, Xining 810008, ChinaIce thickness has a significant effect on the physical and biogeochemical processes of a lake, and it is an integral focus of research in the field of ice engineering. The Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, known as the Third Pole of the world, contains numerous lakes. Compared with some information, such as the area, water level, and ice phenology of its lakes, the ice thickness of these lakes remains poorly understood. In this study, we used an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a 400/900 MHz ice-penetrating radar to detect the ice thickness of Qinghai Lake and Gahai Lake. Two observation fields were established on the western side of Qinghai Lake and Gahai Lake in January 2019 and January 2021, respectively. Based on the in situ ice thickness and the propagation time of the radar, the accuracy of the ice thickness measurements of these two non-freshwater lakes was comprehensively assessed. The results indicate that pre-processed echo images from the UAV-borne ice-penetrating radar identified non-freshwater lake ice, and we were thus able to accurately calculate the propagation time of radar waves through the ice. The average dielectric constants of Qinghai Lake and Gahai Lake were 4.3 and 4.6, respectively. This means that the speed of the radar waves that propagated through the ice of the non-freshwater lake was lower than that of the radio waves that propagated through the freshwater lake. The antenna frequency of the radar also had an impact on the accuracy of ice thickness modeling. The RMSEs were 0.034 m using the 400 MHz radar and 0.010 m using the 900 MHz radar. The radar with a higher antenna frequency was shown to provide greater accuracy in ice thickness monitoring, but the control of the UAV’s altitude and speed should be addressed.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/16/6/959ice thicknessaccuracy assessmentice-penetrating radarUAVnon-freshwater lake |
| spellingShingle | Huian Jin Xiaojun Yao Qixin Wei Sugang Zhou Yuan Zhang Jie Chen Zhipeng Yu Ice Thickness Assessment of Non-Freshwater Lakes in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau Based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Borne Ice-Penetrating Radar: A Case Study of Qinghai Lake and Gahai Lake Remote Sensing ice thickness accuracy assessment ice-penetrating radar UAV non-freshwater lake |
| title | Ice Thickness Assessment of Non-Freshwater Lakes in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau Based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Borne Ice-Penetrating Radar: A Case Study of Qinghai Lake and Gahai Lake |
| title_full | Ice Thickness Assessment of Non-Freshwater Lakes in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau Based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Borne Ice-Penetrating Radar: A Case Study of Qinghai Lake and Gahai Lake |
| title_fullStr | Ice Thickness Assessment of Non-Freshwater Lakes in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau Based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Borne Ice-Penetrating Radar: A Case Study of Qinghai Lake and Gahai Lake |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ice Thickness Assessment of Non-Freshwater Lakes in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau Based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Borne Ice-Penetrating Radar: A Case Study of Qinghai Lake and Gahai Lake |
| title_short | Ice Thickness Assessment of Non-Freshwater Lakes in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau Based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Borne Ice-Penetrating Radar: A Case Study of Qinghai Lake and Gahai Lake |
| title_sort | ice thickness assessment of non freshwater lakes in the qinghai tibetan plateau based on unmanned aerial vehicle borne ice penetrating radar a case study of qinghai lake and gahai lake |
| topic | ice thickness accuracy assessment ice-penetrating radar UAV non-freshwater lake |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/16/6/959 |
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