Icefall on the Lambert Glacier

Icefall on the Lambert Glacier

The Lambert Glacier in Antarctica is the world’s largest glacier. The focal point of this image is an icefall that feeds into the Lambert glacier from the vast ice sheet covering the polar plateau. Ice flows like water, albeit much more slowly. Cracks can be seen in this icefall as it bends and twists on its slow-motion descent 1300 feet (400 meters) to the glacier below.

This image was acquired by Landsat 7’s Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) sensor on December 2, 2000. This is a false-color composite image made using infrared, red, and green wavelengths. The image has also been sharpened using the sensor’s panchromatic band.

Image provided by the USGS EROS Data Center Satellite Systems Branch This image is part of the ongoing Landsat Earth as Art series.