Thursday, September 04, 2014

On thin ice? - Mapping Arctic sea-ice thickness

Satellite mapping reveals the thickness of Arctic sea-ice

THE first map of Arctic sea-ice thickness has been produced using data from CryoSat-2 (pictured), a satellite launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) in April last year. The map, unveiled yesterday at the Paris Air and Space Show, shows both the extent, and thickness in metres, of sea ice in the Arctic region.

Images showing the extent of sea ice have been available for decades. The National Snow and Ice Data Centre tracks the Arctic ice-shelf using tools developed by NASA, and has produced monthly satellite maps going back to 1979. But this is the first map to address the thickness of the ice as well as its extent.

See full Article.