NASA | OIB: High and Low over the Rift

The video discusses the state of glaciers in Antarctica, focusing on the Pine Island Glacier and the Icebridge missions. It highlights the growth of a significant crack poised to form a large iceberg and the implications for sea level rise. The Icebridge missions collect data to monitor changes in the region, emphasizing the importance of calving events. The video also explains the mass balance of ice sheets and the role of calving in ice loss. Future monitoring efforts are outlined, with a focus on the potential for new iceberg formation.

What was the primary goal of the first Icebridge mission over the Thwaites, Smith, and Kohler Glaciers?

• To measure the thickness of the ice

• To compare current data with previous years

• To study the wildlife in the region

• To map the ocean currents

How does calving contribute to the mass balance equation in Antarctica?

• It reduces the basal melt

• It has no impact on mass balance

• It accounts for 80% of ice loss

• It increases the accumulation of snowfall

What analogy is used to describe the severity of calving events?

• A broken glass

• A cracked mirror

• A fingernail

• A falling leaf

What role does sea ice play in relation to floating glaciers?

• It increases the flow of glaciers

• It has no effect on glaciers

• It acts as a buttress or dampener

• It accelerates the melting process

Why is the Pine Island Glacier currently considered primed for calving?

• It has stopped moving

• It is located in a warmer region

• There is no sea ice in front of it

• It has a thick layer of sea ice in front