Earth  ID: 20100

Antarctic Sub-glacial Lakes

Animations by Susan Twardy Released on February 27, 2007
The following animation helps to explain the dynamics of subglacial water exchange and what it looks like from space. Starting from an artist's concept of the Antarctic surface we move down to a cross section of the ice sheet with lakes hidden deep beneath. As pressure is exerted on one lake, the water in it is forced to an adjacent lake. This water movement results in elevation changes at the surface over both lakes, detectable by NASA satellites. The camera then moves to a 'top-down' view of a system of these hidden lakes and streams before dissolving into observed satellite data.
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This animation illustrates the dynamics of the network of subglacial lakes far beneath the ice streams of Antarctica.

Animation Credits

Susan Twardy (HTSI): Lead Animator
Bob Bindschadler (NASA/GSFC): Scientist
Helen Amanda Fricker (Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego): Scientist
Ted Scambos (NSIDC): Scientist
Laurie Padman (Earth and Space Research): Scientist
Andrew Freeberg (NASA/GSFC): Writer
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab

Science Paper:
An Active Subglacial Water System in West Antarctic Mapped from Space

Short URL to share this page:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/20100

Goddard TV Tapes:
G2007-001HD -- NASA's HD Climate Change Resource Tape
G2007-008

Keywords:
DLESE >> Cryology
SVS >> HDTV
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Cryosphere >> Glaciers/Ice Sheets >> Glacier Elevation/Ice Sheet Elevation
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Cryosphere >> Glaciers/Ice Sheets >> Glacier Motion/Ice Sheet Motion
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Cryosphere >> Glaciers/Ice Sheets >> Glacier Topography/Ice Sheet Topography
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Cryosphere >> Snow/Ice >> Ice Motion
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Hydrosphere >> Ground Water >> Dispersion
NASA Science >> Earth

GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0