IceBridge

IceBridge
Name	Operation IceBridge
Formed	2009
Agency	National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Region	Arctic, Antarctic
Status	Completed (2019)

IceBridge

IceBridge was a NASA airborne science campaign that conducted systematic surveys of polar ice sheets, sea ice, and glaciers from 2009 to 2019 using research aircraft to bridge the observational gap between the ICESat and ICESat-2 satellite missions. The campaign produced high-resolution datasets that informed studies of climate change, sea level rise, and cryosphere dynamics while supporting field operations by linking satellite missions such as Landsat, MODIS, and CryoSat-2.

Overview

IceBridge operated seasonal campaigns over the Greenland Ice Sheet, Antarctic Peninsula, Arctic Ocean, and peripheral glacier regions, combining airborne lidar, radar, gravimetry, and photography to measure surface elevation, thickness, and roughness. The program was administered by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in collaboration with institutions including the National Snow and Ice Data Center, Columbia University, University of Colorado Boulder, Penn State University, and University of Kansas. Flights departed from hubs such as Thule Air Base, Svalbard Airport, Longyear, Punta Arenas, Antarctic Peninsula Palmer Station, and Reykjavík Airport.

Mission and Objectives

IceBridge aimed to provide continuous, high-precision airborne observations to calibrate and validate polar satellite altimetry missions including ICESat and ICESat-2 and to fill data gaps between satellite operations. Objectives included quantifying mass balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet and West Antarctic Ice Sheet, monitoring sea ice thickness and extent, mapping subglacial topography and grounding lines, and characterizing glacier and ice shelf change in response to atmospheric and oceanic forcing from systems like El Niño–Southern Oscillation and Southern Annular Mode. The campaign supported policy-relevant assessments by linking to reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and informing modeling efforts at centers such as the National Center for Atmospheric Research and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Aircraft and Instrumentation

IceBridge deployed modified research aircraft including the Lockheed P-3 Orion, Douglas DC-8, and Gulfstream III fitted with instrument suites: airborne laser altimeters descended from technology used on ICESat, short- and long-range ice-penetrating radar adapted from Operation IceBridge partners, gravimeters for mass anomaly detection, and high-resolution digital cameras. Specific instruments included the Airborne Topographic Mapper, the Ku- and Ka-band radar sounders, the Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder, and the University of Kansas graviometer systems. Flight crews and instrument teams comprised personnel from NASA Langley Research Center, NASA Ames Research Center, University of Maryland, Columbia University, and the British Antarctic Survey.

Data Collection and Processing

IceBridge produced time series of elevation profiles, radar-derived thickness maps, and digital imagery processed by pipelines maintained at the National Snow and Ice Data Center and NASA Distributed Active Archive Center. Data calibration and cross-validation used reference datasets from ICESat, ICESat-2, CryoSat-2, GRACE, and GRACE-FO gravimetry, as well as ground-based surveys at sites like Summit Camp (Greenland), Thwaites Glacier, and Jakobshavn Glacier. Processing involved georectification with GPS kinematic solutions, atmospheric correction using reanalysis products from ECMWF and NOAA, and uncertainty estimation following protocols adopted by the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites and data standards at the Earth Observing System.

Key Findings and Impact

IceBridge documented accelerating elevation loss across sectors of the Greenland Ice Sheet and identified thinning and retreat of key outlet glaciers such as Jakobshavn Glacier and Petermann Glacier, while revealing basal topography controls beneath Thwaites Glacier and Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica. Airborne measurements improved estimates of sea level rise contributions and informed projections in IPCC Special Reports and national assessments by agencies like NOAA and the U.S. Geological Survey. IceBridge observations supported discoveries about seasonal and interannual variability in sea ice thickness linked to atmospheric teleconnections such as Arctic Oscillation and oceanic forcings traced to Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation changes, influencing models at institutions including Princeton University, MIT, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Collaborations and Funding

The campaign was funded primarily by NASA with contributions from the National Science Foundation, international partners including the European Space Agency, and university collaborators such as University of Colorado Boulder, University of Washington, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and University of Alaska Fairbanks. Collaborative projects engaged national polar programs like United States Antarctic Program, Norwegian Polar Institute, British Antarctic Survey, and Institut polaire français Paul-Émile Victor. Data sharing and joint analyses involved agencies and research centers such as NOAA, USGS, NSIDC, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, and academic consortia including Global Cryosphere Watch.

Legacy and Successor Programs

IceBridge created an extensive airborne legacy dataset archived at the National Snow and Ice Data Center and enabled continuity into successor remote sensing campaigns and satellite missions including ICESat-2, CryoSat-2 continuity efforts, and future concepts under NASA Earth Science Division priorities. The program stimulated instrument development for airborne and spaceborne lidar and radar, influenced planning at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and supported downstream applications in coastal resilience planning used by agencies such as FEMA and national science assessments by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Its legacy persists in ongoing research at universities and observatories including Columbia University, University of Washington, University of Edinburgh, and the British Antarctic Survey.

Category:NASA programs