Title: The STASIS Concept for Interferometric Remote Sensing of Ice Sheet Temperatures
Presenting Author: Alex Akins
Organization: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Co-Author(s): Alan Tanner, Andreas Colliander, Nicole Schlegel, Igor Yanovsky, Kenza Boudad, Sidharth Misra, Shannon Brown

Abstract:
We present the Separated Thinned Array for Sensing Ice Sheets (STASIS) concept, an innovative approach to developing high spatial resolution maps of Antarctic ice sheet thermal emission at P/L band. This concept was developed in anticipation of extending spatial resolution capabilities for passive microwave remote sensing of ice sheet temperature as demonstrated via previous ESTO investments. Rather than using a large real aperture system, the relative stability of ice sheet internal temperature over time, as demonstrated by prior L band observations, implies that a sparse array system would be able to gradually build up spatial frequency sampling and generate images with 1K sensitivity at 1-10 km spatial resolution over monthly-seasonal time scales. This contrasts with requirements for full snapshot spatial frequency coverage required by systems for monitoring soil moisture and ocean salinity. We will discuss the current status of observing technique feasibility assessments and the implications for cryospheric science.