THE ice of the earth They are melting faster than ever. Antarctica, Greenland and Alpine glaciers are losing enormous quantities of mass every year, with direct and indirect effects on the climate, oceans and life of millions of people. And now, to reveal the scope of this phenomenon, the electronic eyes of the satellites think about it.
According to the most updated data of NASA and NSIDC (National Snow and Ice Data Center), the Greenland loses about 267 billion tons of ice per yearwhile theAntarctica loses about 136 billion. These are impressive numbers that not only feed theSea level raisingbut they also change ocean currents like amoc, with potentially devastating consequences on the global climate.
In Antarctica, for example, in 2024 an anomalous heat wave with temperatures occurred up to 28 ° C above averageand the sea ice touched historical minimum levels. Alpine glaciers, on the other hand, lost 40% of their volume from 2000 to 2023. It is not just an environmental crisis: it is a planetary transformation that we are experiencing in real time.
Nisar, the super satellite will observe the earth even at night and in the clouds
To better understand what is happening and how to act in time, science looks towards space. Nisarthe joint space mission of NASA and ISRO (Indian space agency)is ready to revolutionize the environmental monitoring of the earth.
It is the most expensive radar satellite ever built, with an investment of over 1.5 billion dollars. The launch is scheduled for the July 30, 2025 from the Indian Space Center Satish Dhawan. Equipped with a double frequency radar (NASA LAND LA BAND and BANDE S of India), Nisar will be able to detect changes even lower than one centimeter every 12 dayson almost the entire surface of the planet.
And you don’t need the good weather: thanks to Synthetic opening radar (SAR)the satellite can also “see” through clouds, smoke and dense forestsoperating 24 hours a day, even at night. A 12 -meter -diameter giant antenna makes it capable of collecting precious data on Fusion speed of the ice, the movements of the glaciers, the landslides and even the earthquakes.
The escaped ice influence life even away from the poles
The dissolution of ice is not a problem just for polar bears. Nisar will also be a fundamental tool for other vital sectors, such as agriculture and the management of climatic emergencies.
The collected data will help monitor soil humidityimproving the management of crops and strengthening food safety, especially in the most vulnerable areas. The ability of the radar to penetrate the vegetation will also provide more accurate estimates of biomass and stored carbonessential data to face the climatic crisis in a scientific and strategic way.
But there is more: the dissolution of the ice could also increase volcanic activity In the areas under the ice, due to the reduction of pressure on the earth’s crust. According to a recent study, in Antarctica there are hundreds of submerged volcanoes potentially active, which could deteriorate precisely because of the loss of ice.
