The Arctic ice sheet has lost about a third of its volume since 2003. Elsewhere, new lakes deep under the Antarctic ice sheet were discovered. At intermediate levels, changing water levels in the domains reveals human influences. These are just a few new 100-plus discoveries made with precise length data from the 12 billion laser measurements collected on NASA’s Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite-2. ICESat-2).
Since its launch in September 2018, ICESat-2 has collected data and facilitated research on our changing world – from glaciers to tropical beaches, lush forests and urban areas. Prior to the launch, members of the mechanical science team spoke about what they hoped would help us understand. Now, the machines have a green light to continue operating after successfully completing its three-year major project, and those ice scientists share their findings.
Ice and Beyond
“I am really amazed at the engineering of ICESat-2. We count the number of photons that jumped off the surface – with incredible accuracy. And the science that flows through it is amazing. Suddenly, we saw changes in the Antarctic ice sheet and Greenland, an iceberg that melted and melted high in Greenland.“ But what also stood out was the diversity of scientific disciplines using ICESat-2. It covers marine science, hydrology, cryosphere, biosphere – I knew there would be many ways to use data, but I don’t think I expected that soon. I look forward to the upcoming tsunami. ”
Melt in Antarctica
“I think one of the coolest things we’ve ever seen is the melting lakes of Antarctica. It makes your brain run – if we could detect individual pools automatically and measure their depth, it can tell us about the storage of liquid water in an ice pack, which is one of the most difficult things to measure at such a large scale. .
“That’s a clean thing with ICESat-2 – scales that you can see processes from the smallest, such as blows to the whole ice.” “ICESat-2 was accurate and precise outside the gate. Along with that, it has excellent tracking and control experience, which means we aim to hit the spot and hit it.“So if we multiply orbit to measure how things change over time, we can get a better idea of things like a low ice shelf, where the ice meets the sea. We can better determine where they are, and we can see the impact of the waves on the floating ice. ”
Summer snow
“A few decades ago, the Arctic ice sheet that lasted the summer has been. And ICESat-2 works extremely well in summer, when it comes to clouds and melting pools. We can therefore trace the intensity of sea ice into melting times, and determine what causes melting.“Many people are interested in predicting sea ice, and whether summer Arctic will be free of sea ice. ICESat-2 helps us to speak with confidence. ”
“ICESat-2 is a very good tool, because we have great decision-making. It allows us to see these tiny, open waters in the middle of the ocean ice.“Most importantly, we can now pair it with CryoSat-2 to measure the depth of the ice. ICESat-2 measures snow peak, CryoSat-2 detects snow and ice connections, and all data tells us not only the depth of the ice but also the intensity of the sea ice. After three years of ICESat-2 winter tests, we saw changes in the ice – and those changes were not minor. ““The level of data we can get from ICESat-2 is something we have never achieved on another satellite. It’s a game changer.
“It gives us information about the glaciers in the sea, about the size of the Olympic swimming pools – and ICESat-2 can measure its depth in space. This is great because it allows us to understand how the snow of many years melts in the summer. We need to look at melting lakes to see how much ice is at risk of continuous loss. “
Finding the Impact of Weather
“ICESat-2 goes beyond what it was designed to do. I look forward to extending the timeline to get the monthly data of the tropics over the years – something we have never had.“As we enter five, six, seven years of knowledge, we are able to see the signs of the weather beyond what the weather causes. Then it really is fun, and we can better understand how the weather affects the poles. ”
