Summary
Detailed knowledge of the sub-glacial morphology of large ice sheets is essential for refining ice sheet models and the associated sea-level rise predictions under a warming environment. Reliable and robust interpolation of existing ice thickness measurements is required to in-fill the inevitable (and in places substantial) spatial data gaps. We introduce such a new ice thickness interpolation scheme that is robust to large data gaps. This was evaluated by predicting ice thicknesses measured over the Aurora Basin, East Antarctica during the initial ICECAP field season. The resultant ice sheet basal elevation map shows a substantially marine-based ice sheet which has implications for ice sheet response to a warming ocean. Finally, the importance of additional high-resolution ice thickness data in the marginal zones is discussed.