BitsandBytes–IntroductiontoIcePodScience

Scientistsagree - theworld’smajor ice sheetsare changing.Theyare thinningon the

edges, shrinking in overall mass, and increasing in movement. Now researchers need to focus onansweringwhyandhowthesechangesareoccurring.Detailed imaging is requiredtomoreaccuratelymodelandunderstandthestructuresandmovementsofglaciers.Whyshouldwecareaboutthechangesinthesestockpilesof icelocatedonsomeoftheworld’smostdistant and remote locations?Whilewemay thinkof thePolar Regions as isolated, they are actuallyconnectedtoevery locationonEarththroughthewaterorhydrologiccycle.WhentheEarth’sclimatecools,icesheetsgrow.Aswatermovesfromtheoceanstotheice,sealevelaroundtheworldwillfall.Whentheclimatewarms,theprocessreversesandwaterintheicesheetsmeltsbackintotheoceanscausingsealevelstorise. Atthistime,theicefoundintheseisolatedPolarRegionsaccountsforover75%oftheworld’sfreshwater1.Therateofpolaricelosswillultimatelydeterminetherateandextentofsealevelriseacrosstheglobe.Humansdonotlikesurprises,especiallywhentheunknownishowmuchthesealevelwillchangeinthenext100years.Figure1considersdifferentratesofsealevelrise.Themoreaccurateourimagingoftheentireglacier,themoreconfidentscientistscanbewiththeirmodelingpredictions.

Figure(1)SeaLevelRiseprojectionsuntil2100fromtheIPCCReport5.2

1http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/PolarIce/polar_ice2.php2https://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/faq-5-1-figure-1.html

Thingsarenotalwayswhattheyseem.WhichoftheseistheTRUEimageofGreenland?WeareusedtoseeingGreenlandasacountrypredominantlycoveredwithathick icesheet.The landsurfaceofGreenlandonlybecomesapparentthroughimagescreatedusingdatafrominstrumentslikeradarandtechniqueslikegravityandseismicexplosions.Thesemethodshelpus‘see’throughtheice.Removingtheice, intheimageontheright,youcanseehowthethickoverlyingicesheethaspusheddownthecenterofGreenland.ThebluecoloringinthemiddleofGreenland,representslandcurrentlybelowsealevel.Buthowdothelandandtheiceinteract?ThisiswhattheIcePodprojectisstudying.DescriptionofResearch:

IcePodpromises to improve theefficiency inproducinghighlydetailed and accurate images of ice sheets in both the ArcticandAntarctic.IcePodisamodularpartoftheaircraftattachingto the side of LC-130 Hercules military plane. It is loweredduringflightandcanbeeasilyinstalledorremovedasneeded.ThebeautyofIcePodis itwillcollectvaluablescientificdataatthe same time that these planes are fulfilling their regularly

scheduled missions throughout both the Arctic and Antarctic.This ‘two for one’ approach allows for more frequent andaffordabledatacollectionoftheicesheet.Thisisonlypossiblebecause the IcePod repackages multiple (previously bulky)

devicesintoone,sleek,relativelysmallcontainerthateasilyattachestotheLC-130.TheIcePoditselfis8.5 feet long and 2 feet wide. It could hold approximately 30 regulation size basketballs. Thecombinationoffiveinstrumentsoperatingintandem,allowsformoredetailedandcontinuousimagingfromthegroundbelowtheiceuptothesurfaceoftheicesheet.Thisisnotbeenpossibleusingsatelliteandtransectderiveddata.

From:ETOPO1NOAAGeophysicalDataCenter

From:EILAustria/NASA/Alamy

IcePodincludesacriticalcomputersetupinsidetheLC-130tomonitordatacollectionandcommunicatewiththeinstrumentsduringflight(PhotoCredit:LynnReed)

(L)IcePodinstrumentspackedinsidethepod;(R)DeepIceRadar‘blades’attachtotheoutside

LiDAR (abbreviated combination of light and radar) uses lasers to scan a 1 kilometer swath (strip) of

surface area (both of the land and the glacier) in order to create a three dimensional model ofglacierfeatureswitharesolutionof10-20cm.

Infrared Camera detects variation in temperature on the glacier. This helpswith identifying areas ofmeltandiceinsurfacechannelsandareasofheatlossandgain.

Visible Wavelength Camera is able to calculate measurements of real world structures fromphotographs to create a type of 3D landscaped image. In combination with the infrared cameraincrediblydetailedandaccurateimagesoftheicesheetcanbeproduced.

DeepIceRadar(orIce-PenetratingRadar)usesmicrowavefrequencysignalstopenetrateiceupto4kmthink. It can help determine ice thickness, bedrock topography, internal icemovement, and as itcannotpenetratewateritdetectsthepresenceorabsenceofwaterwithintheiceandatitsbase.

Shallow IceRadar focuseson the top100metersofglacial features. It isable todistinguishbetweenannualsnowaccumulationsforunderstandingvariabilityinsnowfall.

Whodoesthisstuff?

Robin E. Bell, is leadscientist for IcePodandasenior research scientistfromtheLamont-DohertyEarth Observatory ofColumbia University inNew York City. Shestudied geology as anundergraduatestudentatMiddlebury College andthen received her Ph.D.fromColumbiaUniversity.When she is not flyingover the world’s mostmassive ice sheets,Robinenjoys sailing (she hassailed across the Atlanticwith her family includingher dog!), beekeeping,and exploring the greatoutdoors.

IcePodandteamatCampRavenontopoftheGreenlandicesheet(2000meterselevation).TeamLeads:farleftRobinBell,leadscientist;besideherNickFrearson,leadengineer;SecondfromrightChrisZappa,scienceteam;thirdfromrightKirstyTinto,scienceteam.

SetofLinks:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0v1rUqSaW8IknowthatthisisaYouTubevideo,butitisanicesummaryandintroductiontowhatIcePodsis.

• http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/aug/27/icepod-greenland-melting-sheet-radar?CMP=twt_guThisarticlegoesintoabitmoredetailonhowtheIcePodworks.ItalsohasalinktothevideofromYouTube.

• http://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/nation/2013/08/25/2697675/ThisisanothervideothatfocusesmoreonthereasonforusingtheLC-130Herculesplanes.

• http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/res/pi/icepod/ThisistheIcePodProjectpagethathasseverallayersofinformationwrittenforthegeneraluser.

• http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/research/marine-geology-geophysics/icepod-development-ice-imaging-system-monitoring-changing-ice-she.ThisisascientistwrittensummaryoftheIcePodprojectandfocus.

• http://www.usclivar.org/sites/default/files/meetings/Bell_GRISO2013_Talk.pdfAPowerPointthatwouldprobablynotbesuperusefultoak-12teacherisitscurrentformat,butithasmanygoodimages.Iwillplantoeditthispptandnarrowittojustafewimagesandannotations.Iwilllinkittotheprojectwebpageandgiveyouanewlink.

• https://polarexplorer.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/water/-InteractivethatconnectssealevelimpactsfromthetotalGreenlandiceamountsonaU.S.coastalcity

• https://polarexplorer.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/glacier/-Interactivethatexplorershowchangesattheleadingedgeofaglaciercancauseanaccelerationofsealevelrise.

MoreIcePodandpolarscienceactivities:http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/edu/polareducation/