Mapping the Greenland Ice Sheets

The ice sheet covering Greenland is expansive. Beyond the northern reaches of the Atlantic Ocean, Greenland is the largest island in the world and has the second largest mass of frozen fresh water on Earth. The ice and snow, covering 85 percent of the island, may provide important clues on global climate change.

Because of the importance of this ice sheet to Earth, NASA has been conducting aerial surveys of the island since 1992 using an aircraft carrying lasers and radars. In May 2003 crews will return once again to Greenland to take a "snapshot" of large areas of the glaciers, which have shown some dramatic changes in recent years.

"The measurements obtained during the aircraft flights will help scientists better understand glacial changes caused by global climate change," said Bill Krabill, the lead NASA investigator for the mapping missions.

Some computer models show that increased global temperatures will partially melt polar ice sheets, such as those in Greenland, and raise sea level. Others show that rising temperatures will result in increased snowfall and expand the size of the ice sheets.

For the complete article go to: http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/news-release/releases/2003/03-53.htm