Topic: Research News

A new study shows that Alaska's glaciers are melting three weeks faster for every degree Celsius temperature increase. Researchers used satellite radar to track glacier melt and found that short-term heat waves can reduce snow cover, making the problem worse.

Alaska's glaciers are highly sensitive to rising temperatures. Scientists have been monitoring these glaciers using satellite radar observations and found that every 1°C increase in average summer temperatures extends glacier melting by roughly three weeks.

The study also demonstrates that synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can automatically and consistently monitor glaciers and their snowlines throughout the year. This is more dependable than conventional surface-based optical methods, which are often affected by changing lighting conditions, shadows, cloud cover, and variations in whether firn appears clean or dirty.

Researchers tracked glacier

Implications

A new study shows that Alaska's glaciers are melting three weeks faster for every degree Celsius temperature increase. Researchers used satellite radar to track glacier melt and found that short-term heat waves can reduce snow cover, making the problem worse.