NASA's Operation IceBridge Completes 11 Years of Polar Surveys

Icebridge was a significant polar airborne survey conducted between 2009 and 2019, bridging data gaps between satellite missions. It provided critical insights into sea ice, glaciers, and ice sheets, using innovative techniques like snow radar and radar sounders. The mission led to groundbreaking discoveries, such as mapping Antarctic bedrock and uncovering a massive canyon in Greenland. Icebridge's data has been instrumental in understanding cryosphere dynamics, influencing over 660 scientific papers. Its legacy continues through validated satellite measurements and enhanced models of ice behavior.

What was the primary purpose of the Icebridge mission?

• To monitor volcanic activity in the Pacific

• To map the ocean floor

• To explore the possibility of life on Mars

• To study annual changes in polar ice and bridge data gaps between satellites

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

• Laser altimeter

• Thermal imaging camera

• Snow radar instrument

• Seismic sensor

What significant feature did Icebridge help discover beneath the Antarctic ice sheet?

• A hidden volcano

• A massive underground lake

• A 400-mile-long canyon

• A new species of fish

What was the significance of the direct underflight of the ISAT 2 satellite?

• It marked the end of the Icebridge mission

• It validated the satellite's instruments with mirrored measurements

• It discovered a new ice shelf

• It was the first flight over the South Pole

What was one of the major outcomes of the Icebridge mission?

• The first human landing on an ice sheet

• The invention of a new type of aircraft

• The publication of over 660 scientific papers

• The discovery of a new continent