For broadcast quality video and images, visit the ICESat-2 SVS gallery.
Experience the sounds and senses of the remote polar regions through NASA’s Sea Ice Scientist in the Field, Dr. Rachel Tilling. This recording is a complement to NASA’s latest tactile book: “Earth: A Tactile View of the Blue Marble.”
Valerie Casasanto, outreach manager for the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2, or ICESat-2, demonstrates the "Motion in the Ocean" water density activity. The materials needed are tennis ball tubes, a tub or container for excess water, salt, food coloring, tubing or a clear straw (a disassembled pen body could also work), and high density foam (such as from a children's puzzle floor mat) to make the fluid separator plugs.
With 3.03 trillion trees and 78,000 tree species on Earth, we strive to build and update the global inventory of tree height observations. Tracking how trees change over time, both in height and in the number of trees that make up an area, is a good indicator of an ecosystem’s health in an evolving climate. Through a combination of ICESat-2 and the GLOBE Program, we can compare space-based tree height and ground-based tree height observations.
You can also see feature articles that stem from this blog at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and NASA Science.
A view of the Arctic Ocean with ICESat-2 monthly average sea ice thickness data from November 2018 to April 2021. Low values are depicted in light blue, and higher values (5 meters) are depicted in magenta.
This visualization depicts how ICESat-2 data is being used to study vegetation canopy.
For high resolution and different versions, visit the SVS Gallery here.
Hundreds of meltwater lakes hide deep beneath the expanse of Antarctica’s ice sheet. With a powerful laser altimeter system in space, NASA’s Ice Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) is helping scientists “see” under the ice.
Overview video of the Cryo2Ice Mission created by the European Space Agency. The orbit of CryoSat-2 has been slightly changed to align periodically with ICESat-2. This will provide almost simultaneous radar and lidar measurements over the same ice.
#PhotonPhriday looks at how ICESat-2 measures Earth – from Antarctic dunes to the Bahamas to Greenland’s glaciers.
The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) archives and distributes data from ICESat-2. Here is their intro video to the mission.
The Trees Around the GLOBE Student Research Campaign is a multi-year campaign for students and educators from around the world. This campaign highlights measurements of tree height and focuses on the scientific, cultural, and personal foundation of trees. Learn more about the campaign here.
ICESat-2 is an incredibly precise space laser that features the latest in NASA technology To measure ice heights, engineers have to take ICESat-2’s instrument ATLAS to the extreme – sometimes going big, sometimes going small, but always keeping it precise.
Download high resolution video here.
Video Credit: NASA/GSFC
With extreme cold-weather gear, scientific instruments, and two tank-like snow machines called PistenBullys, ICESat-2 scientists traversed along section of the 88-degree south latitude line in an arc around the South Pole.
Download high resolution video here.
Video Credit: NASA/GSFC
ICESat-2 is an incredibly precise space laser that features the latest in NASA technology To measure ice heights, engineers have to take ICESat-2’s instrument ATLAS to the extreme – sometimes going big, sometimes going small, but always keeping it precise.
Download high resolution video here.
Video Credit: NASA/GSFC
To deliver the instrument safely to the spacecraft for assembly and testing, the ATLAS team developed special procedures for packing, transporting and monitoring the sensitive hardware.
Download full resolution video here.
Video Credit: NASA/GSFC
If ICESat-2 flew over a football field, it would take measurements within each yard line (green circles) – plus there's six of these green laser beams taking measurements at once! The first ICESat instrument only fired 40 times a second, and would have taken a measurement in each end zone (red circles).
NASA cryospheric scientist Kelly Brunt and ICESat-2 Deputy Project Scientist Tom Neumann recall some of the highlights and challenges from the recent 88-South Antarctic Traverse.
Download high resolution video here.
Video Credit: NASA/GSFC