November 23, 2020 - Southern Patagonia Icefield

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   South American Glaciers and Lakes
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   On November 19, 2020, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
   (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a stunning true-color
   springtime view of the Southern Patagonian Icefield.

   This bright white cap of dense, compacted ice sits atop the Andes
   Mountains year-round, straddling not only the high peaks of the
   mountains, but also the border between Chile (west) and Argentina
   (east). The Southern Patagonian Icefield, combined with the Northern
   Patagonian Icefield, are the remnants of a much larger ice sheet that
   reached its maximum size about 18,000 years ago. Even though the modern
   icefields are a mere fraction of the massive, ancient one, they remain
   the largest expanse of ice in the southern hemisphere outside of
   Antarctica. But the Patagonian icefields are constantly melting – and
   the rate of melt has been increasing in recent decades.

   As glaciers melt, they release lots of water – enough to create large
   lakes in low areas found on the high, arid plain east of the Andes.
   Three lakes that receive meltwater directly from glaciers can be seen
   in this image. From south to north they are Lago Argentino, Lago
   Viedma, and Lago San Martin. The round Lago Cardiel receives meltwater
   through various rivers, especially the Rio Cardiel. Glacial movement
   slowly pulverizes the rocks below the massive ice sheet into
   fine-grained sediment. Known as “glacial flour”, these sediments color
   the water bright turquoise. Each lake’s color is unique and created by
   a combination of depth and suspended sediment.

   Image Facts
   Satellite:  Aqua
   Date Acquired: 11/19/2020
   Resolutions:  1km (38.8 KB),  500m (123 KB),  250m (350.3 KB)
   Bands Used: 1,4,3
   Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2020-11-23
 
