Publications

You can find all of my publications on my Google Scholar profile.

Recent Journal Articles

Radar Attenuation through Ice on Earth and Across the Solar System

Published in Reviews of Geophysics (in review), 2026

Radar attenuation controls how deeply and clearly radio waves probe ice on Earth and across the solar system. This review synthesizes decades of work on the physical origins of electromagnetic energy loss in ice, linking dielectric theory, laboratory measurements, and radar observations across glaciology and planetary science. By unifying previously separate approaches within a single physical framework, it clarifies how temperature, impurities, frequency, and structure govern attenuation and how methodological choices shape radar interpretation from ice sheets to icy moons.

Recommended citation: Dawson, E. J., N. Wolfenbarger, W. Chu, D. M. Schroeder. (in review). Radar Attenuation through Ice on Earth and Across the Solar System. Reviews of Geophysics.

Ice sheet attenuation from radar sounding in the frequency domain

Published in Journal of Glaciology (in review), 2025

We introduce a frequency-domain method for estimating radar attenuation rates in ice sheets, adapted from the spectral ratio technique in seismology. The approach works where traditional methods fail, such as in regions with uniform ice thickness or disrupted internal layers, and produces results that align with borehole temperature-based estimates. This expands the spatial coverage of reliable attenuation measurements, enabling improved ice sheet temperature mapping.

Recommended citation: Dawson, E. J., Chu, W., Christoffersen, M., Yang, D., Farris, S., & MacGregor, J. A. (in review). Ice sheet attenuation from radar sounding in the frequency domain. Journal of Glaciology.

Where Do We Want the Glaciological Community to Be in 2073? Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Challenges and Visions from the 2023 Karthaus Summer School

Published in Journal of Glaciology, 2025

As one of the participating students at the 2023 Karthaus Summer School, I contributed to this article, which reflects on the glaciological community’s future over the next fifty years. The piece draws on discussions from an Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion workshop where early-career researchers, including myself, shared challenges and proposed actionable steps to improve accessibility, equity, and responsibility in the field.

Recommended citation: Nicola, L., Frøystad, R., Juarez-Martinez, A., Menthon, M., Luzardi, A. C. M., Turner, K. A., Wilson, S. F., Karlsson, N. B., van den Akker, T., Ambelorun, A., Andernach, M., Bentley, M., Bianchi, G., Bird, L., Carter, C., Castillo-Llarena, A., Coffey, N. B., de Roda Husman, S., Eisen, O., Gregov, T., Hewitt, I., Hofsteenge, M., Jain, L., James, M., Jesse, F., Lauritzen, M. L., Lu, G., Mühl, M., Patterson, V., Pattyn, F., Reijmer, C., Rahlves, C., Richter, N., Rieckh, T., Schalamon, F. R., Schöll, S., Shukla, S., Verro, K., Winkelmann, R., Wirths, C., & Keisling, B. (2025). Where do we want the glaciological community to be in 2073? Equality, diversity and inclusion challenges and visions from the 2023 Karthaus Summer School. Journal of Glaciology, 71, e68, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2025.18
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Heterogeneous Basal Thermal Conditions Underpinning the Adélie-George V Coast, East Antarctica

Published in Geophysical Research Letters, 2024

This study assesses the vulnerability of East Antarctica’s Adélie–George V Land by analyzing airborne radar sounding data with a new statistical method. Results reveal a mix of frozen and thawed bed conditions near the Wilkes Subglacial Basin grounding zone, indicating that the region may be more prone to climate-driven retreat and ice mass loss than previously recognized.

Recommended citation: Dawson, E. J., Schroeder, D. M., Chu, W., Mantelli, E., & Seroussi, H. (2024). Heterogeneous basal thermal conditions underpinning the Adélie‐George V Coast, East Antarctica. Geophysical Research Letters, 51(2), e2023GL105450
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Antarctic Sedimentary Basins and Their Influence on Ice-Sheet Dynamics

Published in Reviews of Geophysics, 2023

Reviews how Antarctic subglacial sedimentary basins form, where they are located, and how their properties influence ice-sheet flow, hydrology, and stability. Synthesizes geophysical evidence and outlines priorities to reduce key data and modeling gaps that affect projections of future change.

Recommended citation: Aitken, A. R. A., Li, L., Kulessa, B., Schroeder, D. M., Jordan, T. A., Whittaker, J. M., Anandakrishnan, S., Dawson, E. J., Wiens, D. A., Eisen, O., & Siegert, M. J. (2023). Antarctic Sedimentary Basins and Their Influence on Ice-Sheet Dynamics. Reviews of Geophysics, 61(3), e2021RG000767. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021RG000767
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Ice mass loss sensitivity to the Antarctic ice sheet basal thermal state

Published in Nature Communications, 2022

This study shows that thawing at the base of the Antarctic ice sheet could greatly accelerate ice mass loss, even in regions long considered stable. Numerical modeling reveals that areas such as the Wilkes Basin in East Antarctica may become major sources of sea-level rise if basal thawing reduces friction at the ice–bed interface, underscoring the importance of basal thermal state in future projections.

Recommended citation: Dawson, E.J., Schroeder, D.M., Chu, W. et al. (2022) Ice mass loss sensitivity to the Antarctic ice sheet basal thermal state. Nature Communication, 13, 4957. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32632-2
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Eliza Dawson, PhD