Topic 2c - Finding detail in the snow-pack (part 1)

Topic 2c - Finding detail in the snow-pack (part 1) - Snow density & snow profile

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The Greenland ice sheet has a top layer consisting of more recent snow. This ‘snow-pack’ is complex, consisting of multiple layers which reveal characteristics of the changes in the ice sheet and climatic conditions in recent months and years.

In this video, you will learn how digging a snow profile can reveal important information about the ice sheet and the intricacies of the structures within the snow. Professor Steffen and his colleagues outline how ground-based instruments can be used to measure this detail, and also to interpret and validate satellite data.

Featured Educators:

Professor Konrad Steffen
Dr Martin Schneebeli
Dr Neige Calonne

Don’t forget you can download the video, transcript and take any quizzes available with the links on the right.

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Imagery

Petermann Glacier on the move

This ‘interferogram’ shows Petermann Glacier grinding towards the sea along the northwestern coast of Greenland. Two Radarsat-2 TOPS images acquired 24 days apart were used to generate it.

ESA/MDA

http://www.esa.int