Name: MOSAiC Scientists Measure Arctic Sea Ice Volume
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Scientists on the most ambitious Arctic research expedition of all time use remote sensing to help determine the volume of the Arctic's sea ice.

Just how much ice is in the Arctic Ocean?

MOSAiC Scientists Measure Arctic Sea Ice Volume

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Scientists on the most ambitious Arctic research expedition of all time use remote sensing to help determine the volume of the Arctic's sea ice.

Just how much ice is in the Arctic Ocean?

Planet Earth

MOSAiC Scientists Measure Arctic Sea Ice VolumePublished: October 21, 2021Vishnu Nandan: I don’t know if I am the first Indian to walk on frozen ocean waters, but at least for this expedition, I am the only Indian.My name is Vishnu Nandan. “Vishnu” means preserver of the planet, and that’s my goal. I’m here to protect the planet, to protect everyone.Let’s pull it across, we don’t want to block the way with this.Julienne Stroeve: Okay, yeah. So, let’s just drag it there for now. We can at least bring the cables this direction.I’ve been going up to the Arctic region for almost 30 years now, but it’s always been during daylight. Doing it over winter, yeah, that’s a really unique experience that many people, even if you’re a scientist working in the Arctic, you don’t get to experience that. And honestly, you feel like you’re walking on the moon.That’s amazing.Hi, fox!That is very cool. My first polar fox, that’s exciting. Yay. Okay, I’ll check if my instrument is working now. Narrator: Julienne and Vishnu are running the “Remote Sensing City.” They’re here to answer one of the most fundamental questions of all: just how much ice is in the Arctic Ocean?Stroeve: We have over 40 years of satellite measurements telling us how much of the Arctic Ocean is covered by sea ice, but what we’ve really lacked is knowing how thick the ice is.Narrator: The problem is that satellites can’t differentiate between the ice and what’s just snow on top of it. By testing the same technology at the surface, where they can compare their results against physical measurements, they hope to revolutionize our ability to monitor sea ice from space.Stroeve: It would allow us to actually map, not just the spatial extent of the ice, but the actual ice volume in the Arctic, every single day.Narrator: As they begin to analyze their results, it confirms what they suspected: satellites have been vastly overestimating ice thickness. It will take time to turn their data into new, more accurate predictions, but it’s a major breakthrough.Stroeve: Collecting the data is really key and will, hopefully, help the public and policymakers understand how quickly the Arctic is transforming and that we need to do something before it’s too late.

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MOSAiC Scientists Measure Arctic Sea Ice Volume

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