NISAR will study changes to ice sheets, glaciers, and sea ice in fine detail, as climate change warms the air and ocean.
NISAR, the soon-to-launch radar satellite from NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), will measure some key Earth vital signs, from the health of wetlands to ground deformation by volcanoes to the dynamics of land and sea ice.
This last capability will help researchers decipher how small-scale processes can cause monumental changes in the ice sheets covering Antarctica and Greenland, as well as on mountain glaciers and sea ice around the world.
Read more at: NASA
Pictured in this artist’s concept, NISAR will use two radar systems to monitor change in nearly all of Earth’s land and ice surfaces. The satellite marks the first time the U.S. and Indian space agencies have cooperated on hardware development for an Earth-observing mission. (Photo Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)