NASA Finds What a Glacier’s Slope Reveals About Greenland Ice Sheet Thinning Details 18 December 2020
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As glaciers flow outward from the Greenland Ice Sheet, what lies beneath them offers clues to their role in future ice thinning and sea-level rise contribution.
As glaciers flow outward from the Greenland Ice Sheet, what lies beneath them offers clues to their role in future ice thinning and sea-level rise contribution.
Outlet glaciers are rivers of ice flowing within the cracks of the bedrock and draining into the surrounding sea. They retreat and start to thin as climate warms, and this thinning works its way toward the center of the ice sheet. Now, by looking at the bed topography beneath the ice, scientists have a better understanding of which glaciers could have a significant impact on the Greenland Ice Sheet’s contribution to sea-level rise in coming years. They found that some glaciers flowing over gentler slopes
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IMAGE: A researcher (Leigh Stearns, The University of Kansas) adjusts a time lapse camera monitoring the front of Kangilliup Sermia (also known as Rink Isbrae), an outlet glacier in Greenland. A. view more
Credit: Tim Bartholomaus
The jagged terrain of Greenland s mountains is protecting some of the island s outlet glaciers from warm coastal waters, according to a team of researchers that included scientists from The University of Texas at Austin and NASA.
Outlet glaciers protrude from the ice sheet into the sea, where surging ocean heat can speed up the loss of ice, making the glaciers thinner and raising sea levels. The scientists found that steep slopes in the bedrock under the ice form stabilizing areas the researchers termed knickpoints that prevent coastal thinning from reaching further inland.
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COLUMBIA, Md., Dec. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ Scientists at Universities Space Research Association and their colleagues at NASA, University of Texas and other organizations have determined that the slope of the bedrock underneath glaciers around the Greenland ice sheet can either spread ice thinning farther inland or stall it.
Outlet glaciers are essentially rivers of ice flowing over the bedrock and draining into the ocean. They retreat and thin as the climate warms and this thinning spreads farther inland toward the center of the ice sheet.
Recently, by investigating the bed topography of 141 outlet glaciers around Greenland, scientists gained a better understanding of which glaciers could have a significant impact on the Greenland Ice Sheet s contribution to sea level rise in the coming decades. They found that steep bedrock features, called knickpoints , can effectively stall the spread of ice thinning. This often occurs in regions wh
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. December 10, 2020 (CASIS PR) – The board of directors for the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) has selected James H. Crocker as interim executive director of the nonprofit organization responsible for managing the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory in cooperation with NASA.
As the interim executive director, Crocker will provide transitional leadership for the organization and ensure continued execution of the ISS National Lab mission by working with the CASIS board of directors, NASA, and other key stakeholders until a permanent executive director is selected.
Crocker is currently an active member of the National Academy of Engineering and vice chair of the National Academy of Sciences, Space Studies Board. He formerly served as the vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Space Systems International and is the past chairman of the board of the Universities Space Research Association (USRA). H
Universities Space Research Association Announces 2020 Distinguish Undergraduate Award
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COLUMBIA, Md., Dec. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ Universities Space Research Association proudly announced today the winners of the prestigious 2020 USRA Distinguished Undergraduate Awards.
In keeping with its goal to recognize and develop promising future scientists in space-related disciplines, USRA bestows these awards to honor outstanding undergraduate students in a variety of majors through a competitive process. These awards are granted to students who tackle challenging problems in space research and exploration, demonstrate leadership, and are poised to make significant contributions to their fields.
The following students were the winners of the USRA 2020 Distinguished Undergraduate Awards: