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Larsen Ice Shelf
This sub-image of the Antarc
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2/20/01
| Date |
2/20/01 |
| Description |
This sub-image of the Antarctic Peninsula from the 2000 Antarctic Mapping Mission focuses on the northern end of the Larsen Ice Shelf. The blue line shows the coastline in 1997, the red line in 1992, based on synthetic aperture radar imagery from the European Space Agency, and the yellow line in the mid-1970s. The northern Larsen has been retreating since the 1960s, with major collapses in the 1990s. The southern Larsen was advancing until a major collapse in 1995. Small areas, however, also show advancement since 1997, including a section near the Sobral Peninsula in the center of the image. These advancements may indicate early rebuilding of the overall extent of the Larsen Shelf. The two RADARSAT mosaics from 1997 and 2000 Antarctic imaging campaigns provide highly accurate snapshots of this rapidly changing region of the greater Antarctic continent. The Antarctic Mapping Mission is a joint project between NASA and the Canadian Space Agency. The project is led by Ohio State University in Columbus in partnership with the Alaska Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Facility at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., and the Vexcel Corporation, Boulder, Colo. The Canadian Space Agency's RADARSAT-1 satellite carries a synthetic aperture radar, an imaging radar sensor that operates at C-band (5.3 GHz frequency) with horizontal transmit-horizontal receive polarization from an orbital altitude of about 800 kilometers (500 miles). The 1997 Antarctic Mapping Mission took place between Sept. 19 and Oct. 14 and mapped the entire Antarctic continent. The 2000 Antarctic Mapping Mission lasted from Sept. 3 to Nov. 4 and obtained complete coverage of Antarctica north of 82 degrees south latitude. Photo Credit: Canadian Space Agency/NASA/Ohio State University, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Alaska SAR Facility # # # # # |
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Global View of the Arctic Oc
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The Arctic Ocean has been ma
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8/21/00
| Date |
8/21/00 |
| Description |
The Arctic Ocean has been mapped in an unprecedented manner by scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif. Using advanced radar that sees through all weather conditions, researchers will now be able to determine how the Earth's warming may be changing the sea ice cover. Sea ice in the polar region is a large barometer of global climate conditions. The mission is a joint project between JPL and the Alaska Synthetic Aperture Radar Facility, University of Alaska, Fairbanks. JPL manages the Sea Ice Thickness Derived from High Resolution Radar Imagery project for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, Washington, DC. The Earth Science Enterprise is dedicated to studying how natural and human-induced change affects our global environment. This image is posted on the World Wide Web at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/pictures/seaice . |
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Comparative Views of Arctic
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Scientists at NASA's Jet Pro
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8/21/00
| Date |
8/21/00 |
| Description |
Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have used high resolution radar to see, for the first time ever, the development of the Arctic sea ice cover. The images show a comparison of ice growth during the Arctic winter. The two images are separated by nine days. Both images represent an area located in the Baufort Sea, north of the Alaskan coast. This radar view covers an area of 96 by 128 kilometers (60 by 80 miles). The brighter features are older thicker ice and the darker areas show young, recently formed ice. The earlier image is shown on the left. Within the nine-day span, large and extensive cracks in the ice cover have formed due to ice movement. These cracks expose the open ocean to the cold, frigid atmosphere where sea ice grows rapidly and thickens. Formation of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean affects the heat balance in the global atmosphere and ocean. The mission is a joint project between JPL and the Alaska Synthetic Aperture Radar Facility, University of Alaska, Fairbanks. JPL manages the Sea Ice Thickness Derived from High Resolution Radar Imagery project for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, Washington, DC. The Earth Science Enterprise is dedicated to studying how natural and human-induced change affects our global environment. This image is available at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/pictures/seaice . ##### |
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