Pools of water grow on top of the ice sheet in summer, then sometimes disappear quickly. That water flushes out through glacial plumbing, carrying sediment and massive volumes of fresh water to the sea.
Published Mar 21, 2013
Although 2005 overall saw a new record, the extent of June melting in 2005 was unexceptional. The same held true for 2006, when this picture was taken.
Published Jun 30, 2006
To understand ice sheets, glaciologists venture both below the surface with ice cores, and into the sky with satellites. Satellite imagery of the Greenland Ice Sheet reveals melt ponds that can affect glacier flow and sea level.
Published Oct 29, 2008
Acquired May 31, 2012, and July 12, 2012, these images compare conditions along the Watson River at Kangerlussuaq, which was struck by floods in July 2012.
Published Jul 27, 2012
Acquired June 5, 2011, this natural-color image shows Roze Glacier on the coast of Novaya Zemlya, Russia.
Published Sep 18, 2011
Melt ponds on the surface of Greenland’s ice sheet are an important indicator of the strength of the 2013 melt season.
Published Jul 9, 2013
The heavily crevassed terminus of Kong Oscar Glacier in northwestern Greenland crumbles into a mélange of icebergs in the Davis Strait.
Published Aug 25, 2010
