Nature & Environment
Most Complete Map of Antarctica to Date May Shed Light on Climate Change
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Aug 19, 2014 10:15 AM EDT
Scientists have created the most complete map of Antarctica to date. The new satellite image could inform researchers all over the globe as they examine the effects of climate change.
The researchers used Synthetic Aperture Radar with multiple polarization modes aboard the RADARSAT-2 satellite. With these tools, the CSA collected more than 3,150 images of Antarctica in the autumn of 2008. Using these images, they created a single pole-to-coast map covering all of the continent.
"The mosaic provides and update on the ever-changing ice cover in this area that will be of great interest to climatologists, geologists, biologists and oceanographers," said Ellsworth LeDrew, director of the CCIN, in a news release. "When compared to the previous Antarctic RADARSAT-1 mosaic, we can map changes in the icescape with unprecedented accuracy and confidence. Earth's polar regions are considered a bellwether for the effects of climate change."
In fact, the new map can be found online, freely available to the public. This could potentially help inform future studies in the region.
"The Polar Data Catalogue's mandate is to make such information freely available to scientists, students and the public to enhance our understanding and stewardship of the polar regions," said LeDrew. "We are proud to work with the Canadian Space Agency and MDA to bring this outstanding Canadian technology and science to the international community."
Currently, the researchers involved in the project plan to create a similar mosaic for Greenland. This should provide scientists with further information about our shifting climate in the northern hemisphere. In addition, the researchers plant to continue creating mosaics of Antarctica every few years in order to track ice cover and provide more data to scientists.
Want to see the map for yourself? You can find it here.
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First Posted: Aug 19, 2014 10:15 AM EDT
Scientists have created the most complete map of Antarctica to date. The new satellite image could inform researchers all over the globe as they examine the effects of climate change.
The researchers used Synthetic Aperture Radar with multiple polarization modes aboard the RADARSAT-2 satellite. With these tools, the CSA collected more than 3,150 images of Antarctica in the autumn of 2008. Using these images, they created a single pole-to-coast map covering all of the continent.
"The mosaic provides and update on the ever-changing ice cover in this area that will be of great interest to climatologists, geologists, biologists and oceanographers," said Ellsworth LeDrew, director of the CCIN, in a news release. "When compared to the previous Antarctic RADARSAT-1 mosaic, we can map changes in the icescape with unprecedented accuracy and confidence. Earth's polar regions are considered a bellwether for the effects of climate change."
In fact, the new map can be found online, freely available to the public. This could potentially help inform future studies in the region.
"The Polar Data Catalogue's mandate is to make such information freely available to scientists, students and the public to enhance our understanding and stewardship of the polar regions," said LeDrew. "We are proud to work with the Canadian Space Agency and MDA to bring this outstanding Canadian technology and science to the international community."
Currently, the researchers involved in the project plan to create a similar mosaic for Greenland. This should provide scientists with further information about our shifting climate in the northern hemisphere. In addition, the researchers plant to continue creating mosaics of Antarctica every few years in order to track ice cover and provide more data to scientists.
Want to see the map for yourself? You can find it here.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone