November 25, 2020 - Antarctica

    Follow @NASA_MODIS

   Antarctica
    Tweet
    Share

   On November 4, 2020, the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC)
   confirmed that Antarctic sea ice extent had reached its seasonal
   maximum on September 28. Measuring 18.95 square kilometers (7.32 square
   miles), this maximum extent was the eleventh highest in the satellite
   record. Between that date and November 4, daylight has lengthened and
   temperatures crept upward as austral spring advanced, prompting sea ice
   to begin its annual melt cycle.

   According to NSIDC, between September 28 and November 4, Antarctic sea
   ice has declined by 1.30 million square kilometers (502,000 million
   square miles, but at a slightly slower rate than average, which means
   that there is currently a slight increase in the difference between the
   daily sea ice extent and the 1981 – 2010 average.

   On November 23, 2020, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
   (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of
   Antarctica.

   Thin black lines have been overlain on the image to mark the edge of
   the continent. Inside of these lines bright white snow and ice stretch
   across the frozen land of Antarctica. On the other side, sea ice floats
   on the deep dark waters of the Southern Ocean. Close to the continent
   the ice clings to the continent and is known as “fast ice”. Two large
   ice shelves are easily visible: the Ross Ice Shelf sits near the bottom
   of the image and the Ronne Ice Shelf lies between the Antarctic
   Peninsula (left side of the image) and the Weddell Sea. Both ice
   shelves cling to the coast along West Antarctica. In contrast, fast ice
   along the curved coast of East Antarctica has begun to visibly melt,
   leaving open water in many locations.

   While fast ice clings to the land and juts out over ocean waters, much
   of the sea ice surrounding Antarctica is free-floating. Thinner and
   often made of various sizes of broken bits of ice, sea ice may appear
   roughened and somewhat dark when viewed from space – a significant
   contrast with the shiny, smooth, bright appearance of solidly frozen
   ice of fast ice or ice and snow that cover Antarctica. Carried by
   currents, sea ice may also create swirls and filigrees over the
   Southern Ocean.

   Image Facts
   Satellite:  Aqua
   Date Acquired: 11/23/2020
   Resolutions:  1km (4.1 MB),
   Bands Used: 1,4,3
   Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2020-11-25
 
