Understanding Earth's cryosphere: NISAR's mission to decode the impact of global warming
As the world grapples with rising temperatures, the fate of Earth’s frozen regions hangs in the balance. Glaciers recede, and ice sheets melt, each shift sending ripples through our planet’s delicate climate system. Enter NISAR, a revolutionary joint mission between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), poised to shed new light on the nuanced dynamics of Earth’s cryosphere.
Understanding Earth’s cryosphere: NISAR’s mission to decode the impact of global warming
NISAR, short for Nasa-Isro Synthetic Aperture Radar, is designed to capture the most comprehensive picture yet of the motion and deformation of Earth’s cryosphere—the parts of the Earth’s surface where water is in solid form. With global temperatures on the rise, the cryosphere’s response, including faster ice motion and increased melting rates, has become a matter of urgency.
According to Alex Gardner, a glaciologist at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NISAR’s advanced measurements will play a crucial role in understanding these processes. The satellite, set to launch later this month from India, will survey nearly all the planet’s land and ice surfaces bi-monthly using its dual radar systems—an L-band and an S-band—providing complementary data.
Advanced technology at work: The dual radar systems and unique orbit orientation of NISAR
NISAR’s technological prowess lies in its dual radar systems. The L-band radar can penetrate snow to track underlying ice movement, while the S-band radar is more sensitive to snow moisture, indicating melt areas. Importantly, these radars can see through clouds and darkness, enabling continuous observation even during the extended polar nights.
An additional unique feature of NISAR is its orbit orientation, allowing data collection from deep within Antarctica, close to the South Pole—a region not extensively covered by other imaging radar satellites. This capability is crucial for studying the flow of ice from central Antarctica toward the ocean and understanding interactions between ice and seawater that can exacerbate melting and instability.
Mountain glaciers, water supply, and flooding: NISAR’s critical role in climate research
Beyond its role in deciphering the cryosphere, NISAR will track changes in Earth’s mountain glaciers. The satellite’s observations will help researchers monitor water storage in glacial lakes in the Himalayas, contributing to the assessment of the risk of catastrophic floods. Melting mountain glaciers have already contributed about a third of the sea level rise seen since the 1960s.
Unprecedented collaboration: NASA and ISRO join forces for Earth-observing mission
NISAR marks the first time NASA and ISRO have cooperated on hardware development for an Earth-observing mission. The collaboration extends to various components, with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory leading the U.S. component and UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) in Bengaluru leading the ISRO component. This joint effort reflects the global significance of understanding and mitigating the impact of climate change.
As the launch date approaches, anticipation is high for the invaluable data and insights that NISAR will contribute to our understanding of Earth’s changing frozen regions, ultimately aiding in more accurate predictions and informed decision-making in the face of climate challenges.
