Earth Equity News

European Satellite to Measure Precise Rate that Polar Ice Cover Is Diminishing. ESA.int, January 15, 2010. "The go-ahead to build and launch the CryoSat-2 mission came in February 2006 after the loss of the first CryoSat in October 2005 due to a launch failure. The mission's objectives remain the same as before -- to measure ice thickness on both land and sea very precisely to provide conclusive proof as to whether there a trend towards diminishing polar ice cover, furthering our understanding of the relationship between ice and global climate. CryoSat-2's launch [is set for February 25, 2010]... From an altitude of just over 700 km and reaching latitudes of 88°, CryoSat-2 will monitor precise changes in the thickness of the polar ice sheets and floating sea ice. The observations made over the three-year lifetime of the mission will provide conclusive evidence of rates at which ice cover may be diminishing... Sea ice is relatively thin -- up to a few metres thick, but it influences regional temperature and the circulation of ocean currents, and consequently the Earth's climate. CryoSat-2 will acquire precise measurements of the thickness of floating sea ice so that annual variations can be detected."