Arctic Sea Ice Leads, DMS Image, 2012
Cracks between sheets of sea ice are called leads, as as seen in this image of Arctic sea ice from the DMS instrument from a recent Operation IceBridge aerial survey. NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) announced on August 27, 2012, that the ice cap covering the Arctic Ocean is now smaller than ever recorded since consistent satellite measurements of the ice began more than three decades ago. Each year, the ice cap goes through a shrink-and-swell cycle, melting throughout the summer months before expanding through fall and winter. In the past decade in particular the minimum summertime extent of the ice cap has shown a consistent decline in size, a trend closely linked with the Arctic's warming climate. NASA and NSIDC scientists said the extent of Arctic sea ice on August 26 surpassed the previous record minimum extent set in the summer of 2007. The ice cap will continue to melt and get smaller in the coming weeks before temperatures get colder and ice begins to refreeze as fall approaches. Digital Mapping System (DMS), created by researchers at NASA's Ames Research Center, is an airborne digital imaging system that is used to detect openings in sea ice and build high-resolution maps of polar ice. The DMS instrument is a downward-facing digital camera that captures multiple individual frames that are combined into image mosaics using computer software.
Size: 4200px × 2800px
Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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