A Scalable Borehole Thermometry Framework for Process-Based Monitoring of Near-Surface Thermal Dynamics Across Polar and High-Mountain Cryosphere Systems

Geetha Priya M 

Rapid climate warming is fundamentally altering the thermal structure and stability of glaciers, ice sheets, and ice shelves across polar and high-mountain environments. While satellite remote sensing and surface meteorological networks provide essential observations of atmospheric forcing and surface conditions, the near-surface subsurface layer (approximately 0–3 m depth)—where energy is transferred, stored, and transformed—remains insufficiently observed at high temporal resolution and across coordinated spatial scales. This layer governs conductive
heat transfer, seasonal heat storage, melt–refreeze dynamics, and latent heat release, yet lacks standardized monitoring protocols and cross-regional comparability. This white paper proposes a scalable, process-based borehole thermometry framework designed to quantify vertical thermal gradients, conductive heat flux, heat penetration depth, and phase-change signatures within the near-surface ice column. The framework integrates high-frequency multi-depth thermistor
profiling with physically constrained one-dimensional heat conduction modeling and satellite product validation. It establishes standardized instrumentation specifications, data governance protocols, and implementation pathways suitable for Arctic, Antarctic, Greenlandic, and high- mountain cryosphere systems. Unlike isolated site-specific studies, the proposed architecture enables harmonized cross- cryosphere synthesis and direct linkage between atmospheric forcing and internal ice thermal response. Pilot deployments submitted for Arctic and Antarctic expedition cycles demonstrate operational feasibility, supported by sustained multi-season polar field experience and high-precision glacier investigations in both polar and high-mountain regions. By formalizing near-surface thermal observation as a coordinated international priority, this initiative addresses a critical structural gap in cryosphere science and strengthens predictive capacity for glacier evolution, melt onset timing, firn thermal buffering, and ice shelf stability under accelerating climate change.