In a groundbreaking collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the upcoming launch of the NISAR radar satellite is set to revolutionize our understanding of Earth’s vital signs, with a focus on the health of wetlands, ground deformation by volcanoes, and the dynamics of land and sea ice.
The NISAR satellite, short for NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, is scheduled to be launched in 2024 from southern India. According to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NISAR will offer the most comprehensive view to date of the motion and deformation of frozen surfaces in Earth’s ice- and snow-covered environments, collectively known as the cryosphere.
Researchers anticipate that NISAR’s insights will be instrumental in decoding how small-scale processes can trigger significant changes in the ice sheets covering Antarctica and Greenland, as well as in mountain glaciers and sea ice globally.
Alex Gardner, a glaciologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, emphasized the urgency of understanding Earth’s changing ice dynamics, stating, “Our planet has the thermostat set on high, and Earth’s ice is responding by speeding up its motion and melting faster.”
The satellite will utilize two radars—an L-band system with a 10-inch wavelength and an S-band system with a 4-inch wavelength—to observe nearly all of the planet’s land and ice surfaces twice every 12 days. NISAR’s orientation in orbit will enable it to collect crucial data from Antarctica’s far interior, offering an unprecedented view of the region near the South Pole.
With a particular focus on Antarctica, where ice sheets hold the largest reservoir of frozen fresh water, NISAR aims to address uncertainties in sea level rise projections. The satellite’s enhanced coverage will be vital for studying the motion of ice flowing from central Antarctica towards the sea, as well as investigating the interaction between ice and ocean.
The satellite will also monitor changes in Earth’s mountain glaciers, providing valuable data on water storage in glacial lakes in the Himalayas. NISAR’s all-weather capability is expected to assist in assessing the risk of catastrophic floods.
Sushil Kumar Singh, a glaciologist at the ISRO Space Applications Centre, highlighted the significance of NISAR in overcoming challenges posed by cloud cover in the Himalayas, stating, “With NISAR, we will be able to get a more continuous and complete data set that would not be possible with instruments that use visible light.”
Beyond Earth’s icy regions, NISAR will track the movement and extent of sea ice in both hemispheres. This includes insights into the impact of rising temperatures on Arctic sea ice, which has been diminishing over recent years, affecting global climate patterns.
NISAR, marking a historic collaboration between NASA and ISRO, signifies a milestone in Earth observation, with the satellite set to provide invaluable data for understanding and predicting changes in our planet’s frozen landscapes and vital signs.
Sources By Agencies
