
This map of Antarctica shows the changes in the elevation of the Antarctic ice sheet from 1985 through 2021. The map is part of a study, published in Earth System Science Data, conducted by researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. Ice height diminishes (shown in red) as the ice sheet melts by contact with ocean water; ice height rises (shown in blue) where accumulation exceeds ice loss. Ice shelves are shown in gray. The Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers in West Antarctica (the dark red spots on the left side of the map) are the largest areas of rapid ice loss. The stagnant Kamb Ice Stream (the dark blue area at middle-left) is the only major site of rapid accumulation as ice continues to push in from the interior but no longer flows out to an ice shelf. The image summarizes a new data set of monthly high-resolution "snapshots" of ice change. The satellite altimetry missions that supplied data for the study are listed in the timeline at the bottom of the image: Geosat (U.S. Navy), ERS-1 and ERS-2 (ESA, or European Space Agency), Envisat (ESA), ICESat-1 (NASA), Cryosat-2 (ESA), and ICESat-2 (NASA). https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24990
Most NASA images are in the public domain and free to use. Credit NASA as the source. Check NASA's media usage guidelines for details. Images featuring identifiable individuals may require additional permissions.
NASA ID
PIA24990
Date Created
August 10, 2022
Center
JPL
Media Type
image
Download this image in multiple resolutions. All NASA media are free for public use.
1920px