Assistant Research Scientist Sinead Farrell, who recently served as coordinator for an ESSIC-hosted meeting on emerging cryospheric research opportunities, is a co-author of a soon to be published paper in Geophysical Research Letters (GRL), detailing new results from the European Space Agency’s CryoSat-2 mission.
This new study presents the first two full winters of CryoSat-2 measurements over Arctic sea ice, after the launch of the satellite in April 2010.
CryoSat-2 has the ability to measure both the seasonal and interannual changes in ice thickness over almost the entire Arctic Ocean, extending satellite coverage of the region to 88oN. (NASA’s ICESat mission surveyed the Artic to 86oN.)
The new CryoSat-2 dataset also extends an earlier time series of sea ice thickness estimates, based on the data collected by the ICESat mission. The data for the study was validated using independent measurements from in situ sensors and airborne missions, including data from NASA’s Operation IceBridge.
Both the model and satellite data show a decline in the volume of Arctic sea ice over the last decade.
Dr. Farrell is a member of both NASA’s Operation IceBridge Science and ICESat-2 Science Definition Teams.
Additional Media Coverage
Natural Environment Research Council: CryoSat-2 mission reveals major Arctic sea-ice loss
University of Washington: European satellite confirms UW numbers: Arctic Ocean is on thin ice
BBC: Cryosat spots Arctic sea-ice loss in autumn
European Space Agency: CryoSat reveals major Arctic sea-ice loss
NASA: NASA Scientist Part of Arctic Sea Ice Study
