NASA researchers have uncovered a hidden lagoon system underneath a majestic glacier.
The US space agency recently captured some aerial shots of the Malaspina Glacier that revealed something interesting.
Using the OLI-2 (Operational Land Imager-2) on Landsat 9, Nasa got satellite imagery of the Glacier, located on the southeastern coast of Alaska, for several years.
“A comparison of satellite imagery over time has revealed a lagoon system forming along that barrier over the past few decades,” the agency said.
And some of the open water is nearly as salty as the ocean, according to recent research.
This means that relatively warm ocean water is making contact with the ice.
“This could lead to large-scale calving and hasten the glacier’s retreat,” Nasa explained.
In the satellite-snapped photos, which were taken on October 27, viewers can see the coastal/aerosol in near-infrared.
“In this configuration, watery features are displayed in reds, oranges, and yellows,” Nasa explained.
“Vegetation appears green, and rock is shown in shades of blue,” it added.
Meanwhile, the dark blueish-purple lines on the ice show moraines.
Moraines are areas where soil and rock have been picked up by the glacier and deposited along its edges.
“The zigzag pattern of the debris is caused by changes in the ice’s velocity,” Nasa said.
“Glaciers in this area of Alaska periodically ‘surge’ or lurch forward for one to several years,” it added.
As a result of this irregular flow, the moraines can compress to form the diverse textures seen on the glacier.
MALASPINA GLACIER
The huge glacier is located mostly within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska.
It spans approximately 1,680 square miles, making it the world’s largest Piedmont glacier.
A Piedmont glacier forms from the confining walls of mountain valleys and spreads out to create a sheet in the lowlands.
“Its main source of ice is the Seward Glacier, which spills out of the St. Elias Mountains onto a broad coastal plain,” Nasa explains.
“Several other glaciers, such as the Agassiz, also fan out onto this plain and coalesce to form the larger Malaspina.”
Dr. Thomas Hughes is a UK-based scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to readers. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
