This data set addresses why surface melt water lakes on ice shelves and ice sheets are notably influential in triggering ice-shelf break-up and modulating seasonal ice flow, and are thus principle avenues by which environmental change can be transmitted to the ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland. A comparative analysis is performed of lake geometry and derived depth (using Landsat image reflectance) in two distinct regions, one a collapsing ice shelf and the other an ablation zone of a land terminating ice sheet, to better characterize the range of surface lake variability.