1. Ice, Ice, Baby
CReSIS sends scientists to research ice in 2 of the coldest places on earth. Where would that be? Which would have more ice? Greenland holds 8% of the world’s ice, Antarctica has 91% of the world’s ice.

2. Greenland and Antarctica
Greenland has a population of 57,000. All towns and settlements of Greenland are situated along the ice-free coast, with the population being concentrated along the Western coast. Antarctica does not have a population at all. Research stations are all that are permitted on Antarctica due to the Antarctic Treaty. It was signed in 1959 by twelve countries; to date, forty-five countries have signed the treaty. The treaty prohibits military activities and mineral mining, supports scientific research, and protects the continent's ecozone. Ongoing experiments are conducted by more than 4,000 scientists of many nationalities and with different research interests.

3. This satellite picture shows Greenland and the summer Arctic ice cover
This satellite picture shows Greenland and the summer Arctic ice cover. The North Pole actually is only sea ice and has no land mass under it.

4. Actual North Pole
This is another satellite picture of Greenland without the ice. Can you find the North Pole?

6. Icebreaker
This is an icebreaker ship from Russia. For a ship to be considered an icebreaker it requires three components: a strengthened hull, an ice-clearing shape, and the power to push through, none of which are possessed by most normal ships.
To pass through ice-covered water, an icebreaker uses its great momentum and power to drive its bow up onto the ice, breaking the ice under the immense weight of the ship. Because a buildup of broken ice in front of a ship can slow it down much more than the breaking of the ice itself, the speed of the ship is increased by having a specially designed hull to direct the broken ice around or under the vessel . The external components of the ship's propulsion system (propellers, propeller shafts, etc.) are at even greater risk of damage than the vessel's hull, so the ability for an icebreaker to propel itself onto the ice, break it, and successfully clear the debris from its path is essential for its safety.

7. Flight to Greenland C -130 used to transport cargo
This type of plane can carry the whole camp and its occupants at the same time. What special feature does it have? (Notice the landing gear and the way it can load and unload). Photo: D. Bratten, 2006

8. This is the coast of Greenland that our scientists see from their aircraft. While it looks just like a snowy landscape, all that you are seeing is actually a giant ice sheet.

9. This is an example of what you would see if you were in the white desert of Antarctica. It is considered the highest, driest continent on earth because it only snows about 2 inches per year in the interior. Pilots need to land in places that are flat like this. Why are pilots not as comfortable landing on this continent? (On cloudy days, the land and the sky are the same color)

10. This is where the scientist sleep. There is no heat in the tents
This is where the scientist sleep. There is no heat in the tents. Why do they dig the snow out around them?

11. Weatherport
The weather port is the only warm place in camp. The generators provide heat for cooking and power for computers. What do you notice about the shape of this tent? Why would a roof this shape be better than another?

12. Snow Accumulation Radar
This is a sled with radar equipment being pulled by a snow mobile. If you click on this a second time, you ca see the radar cables and the antennae which point down to the snow.

13. Each of the black lines represent a layer of snow accumulation
Each of the black lines represent a layer of snow accumulation. This is important to measure this to compute the mass balance of the ice. It helps answer the question “ does the amount of snow that is falling make up for the amount of ice that is melting ?” If the amount of snow is less than what is melting, is the ice sheet getting larger or smaller?

21. Depth Sounding Radar
This is also radar that is pulled by a snow mobile and slides along on a sled. The antennae look different than the snow accumulation antennae. Why are they different? What is this radar measuring?

22. Depth of Ice Sheet
The black line on this graph shows the bedrock of the ice sheet. How deep is it? CReSIS has developed very precise radar that can travel through ice and water. What are scientists looking for in this and why do they need to know where the bedrock is? (For the depth of the ice sheet ) Why is this important for climate change?

23. Plane wave radar
This is a manned aircraft that traverses (goes back and forth) across Greenland and Antarctica to determine th depth of an ice sheet. What advantage does aplane have over a snow mobile? Which would be more dangerous?

24. Elevation Map and Radar Sounding Flight Lines at Flade Isblink, Greenland
This an elevation map that shows what information the plane radar provides. What is the highest elevation on this map?

25. Glacier Crevasse
Phote by:M. Horning (

26. Glacial Movement

27. This is a glacier, a moving mass of ice. What does this look like
This is a glacier, a moving mass of ice. What does this look like? This frozen river carves the land that it flows down. It moves due to pressure of heavy layers of ice that cause melting at the bedrock. This water lubricates the rocky land and allows the ice to flow. Gravity plays a major role in ice flow.

28. Glacier Flow
This glacier is most likely several stories high. It has not reached the ocean yet. This is not snow, it is ice!

29. Glacier in retreat

30. Glacier Stream

31. Ice shelf breaking up
This is an aerial photograph of an ice sheet breaking up. Those large chunks that are floating are icebergs. The ones the size of a piano are called growlers and the ones the size of a house are called bergy bits.

32. Ice Cliff
An ice shelf with crevasses and sea ice-

33. Ice shelf
Ice shelves can be 150 miles long and 70 stories high and are resting on water. They are attached to the ice sheet that is on land and may eventually break off or calve from the ice sheet.
Photo: Josh Landis (
Tabular Bergs
The face of the B -15A mass, freshly broken from the face of the barrier. Even though somewhat improved by editing, we could wish more could take pix like this! Height of ice face is ft. (~1/2 mile). Note very little melting at the water contact and no "ram".

34. Icebergs
Most of an iceberg is below the surface of the water. Depending on the stage of an iceberg, one fifth to one eighth is above water. Ice melts faster below the surface of water (due to a greater number of molecules in the water vs. air) and this melting will cause the iceberg to get off balance. When that happens, an iceberg will rotate, showing a clearer ice. The Titanic is thought to have hit an iceberg that just turned, showing its clearer ice.
Image 2:
Image 3:

35. Sea Ice
Sea ice is formed in the winter from ocean water. Most often, sea ice will get to be about 1 meter thick in the winter. Round masses of sea ice are called pancake ice. Would sea ice taste salty?

36. Melting of the Ice Sheets in Greenland
The New Warming Island
Melting of the Ice Sheets in Greenland
Scientist discovered this island off of Greenland this past summer(2007). This piece of land was once connected to Greenland by ice. Once it melted so much, this part of Greenland became an island. In the last 40 years, 40% of Greenland’s ice has melted. Residents are beginning to grow crops and flowers they never expected in the last few years.

37. Ice, Ice, Baby