NASA's Operation IceBridge Completes 11 Years of Polar Surveys

Icebridge was a significant polar airborne survey conducted between 2009 and 2019, aimed at studying changes in sea ice, glaciers, and ice sheets. It filled the data gap between satellite missions and provided critical insights into the cryosphere. The mission pioneered techniques like snow radar for measuring snow thickness and mapped complex glacier transition zones. Discoveries included a massive canyon under Greenland's ice and a potential impact crater. Icebridge's data contributed to over 660 scientific papers, enhancing our understanding of polar regions and their future changes.

What was the primary goal of the Icebridge mission?

• To study the annual changes in polar bear populations

• To map the entire Antarctic continent

• To bridge the data gap between Isak and Isak 2 satellites

• To explore the depths of the Arctic Ocean

Which instrument did the Icebridge team pioneer for measuring snow thickness on sea ice?

• Gravimeter

• Snow radar

• Thermal imaging camera

• Ice-penetrating radar

What significant discovery was made using Icebridge's radar data in Greenland?

• A new volcanic island

• The largest iceberg ever recorded

• A new species of polar bear

• A 400-mile-long hidden canyon

How did Icebridge contribute to the understanding of Antarctica's bedrock topography?

• By deploying underwater drones

• By drilling deep ice cores

• By collecting over 25 million measurements

• By using satellite imagery

What was a critical outcome of the Icebridge mission's collaboration with the ISAT 2 satellite?

• Validation of satellite instruments

• Discovery of a new ice shelf

• Mapping of new ocean currents

• Identification of new glacier formations