NASA
NASA/JPL/SEA-ICE
In recent years, many NASA missions have recorded the loss of Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. By conducting research on ice sheets, glaciers, spring thaw patterns, and mass balance of the sea ice covers, researchers are getting a clearer picture of the cryosphere. Scientists in the cryospheric sciences focus on understanding the role of the polar regions in global climate and sea level. Researchers have made use of GRACE, QuikSCAT, Synthetic Aperture Radar, ICESAT, and new modeling techniques to track changes in the cryosphere.