Our Research

Through a three-year NASA grant, NSIDC researcher Lora Koenig is analyzing how well the satellites orbiting Mars are picking up on various layers within the Martian ice on its North Pole. The best way to know if things are working properly there is to test them here on Earth.

Surface melt spiked in mid-September in southern Greenland. A surge of warm air from the central Atlantic fueled the late melt event, which was confined to the southwestern and southeastern coasts and peaked on September 15, 2017.

Extensive and persistent melt in northern Greenland characterized late July to early August. A brief high pressure pattern centered on the west coast led to similar conditions that made 2015 a record melt year for the ice sheet's northern sections.

NASA joined with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to deliver data from the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) spacecraft. Launched in 2011, NPP carries the replacement for MODIS: the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS).

Despite moderately higher-than-average air temperatures and high air pressure over Greenland, the 2017 melt season began modestly. As of June 30, total melt area was the lowest since the 2009 melt season.