March 29, 2024

Exploring Earth From Space: The Stunningly Beautiful Kangerlussuaq Glacier

At the top of the image, steady ice can be seen in white and is present in all three radar acquisitions. Ice and snow noticeable only in the early-summer acquisitions can be seen in brilliant yellow and are not present in the last acquisition as they have actually melted by this time. The various tones of red highlights ice and snow identified just in the very first acquisition recorded on June 4. Colors on the sea surface vary owing to surface currents and sea ice dynamics.
Research study utilizing satellite imagery recommends that because 2017, Kangerlussuaq has entered a new phase of quick retreat and acceleration, and its ice front is now at its most pulled back position because the early 20th century.
As worldwide temperature levels increase, the melting of the huge ice sheets that blanket Greenland has actually significantly accelerated, adding to sea-level rise. Over the previous years alone, findings have revealed that 3.5 trillion tonnes of ice have actually melted from the Greenland ice sheet and spilled into the ocean– sufficient to cover the UK with meltwater 15 m deep.
Using information from ESAs CryoSat objective, the research shows that extreme ice melting events in Greenland have actually become more frequent and more extreme over the past 40 years, raising water level and the threat of flooding worldwide.
Raised sea levels increase the threat of flooding for seaside communities worldwide and interrupt Arctic Ocean marine communities, along with changing patterns of ocean and climatic blood circulation– which impact climate condition around the world.
Observations of Greenland runoff from space can be used to validate how climate designs mimic ice sheet melting which will permit better forecasts of how much Greenland will raise the international sea level in the future.

At the top of the image, stable ice can be seen in white and is present in all three radar acquisitions. Ice and snow visible only in the early-summer acquisitions can be seen in bright yellow and are not present in the last acquisition as they have melted by this time. Colors on the sea surface area differ owing to surface currents and sea ice characteristics.

Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite picture of Kangerlussuaq Glacier, Greenland This false-color image shows noticeable changes on the ground and sea surface area in between three various acquisition dates. Credit: Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel information (2021 ), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
The Kangerlussuaq Glacier, one of Greenlands biggest tidewater outlet glaciers, is imagined in this false-color image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 objective. Meaning big fjord in Greenlandic, the Kangerlussuaq Glacier flows into the head of the Kangerlussuaq Fjord, the second biggest fjord in east Greenland.
Each Sentinel-1 satellite brings an advanced radar instrument offering us a day-and-night supply of pictures of Earths surface. Remote picking up allows us to monitor ice sheets around the world and track all calving phases– from rift detection to iceberg breakaway– along with procedure ice cover and wandering icebergs.
This Sentinel-1 radar image combines three different acquisitions during the summertime of 2021 and reveals visible changes on the ground and sea surface in between 3 acquisition dates: June 4, June 16, and June 28. The range of colors represents the seasonal retreat of ice during this time.