ESA CryoSat: Greenland, the Netherlands and maldives look for answers on ice

ESA’s Earth Explorer CryoSat mission is dedicated to precise monitoring of changes in the thickness of marine ice floating in the polar oceans and variations in the thickness of the vast ice sheets that blanket Greenland and Antarctica.

Credits: ESA/AOES Medialab

As the impact of climate change is felt in the Arctic, ESA’s CryoSat ice mission is highlighted as a source of vital information at an exhibition in the Netherlands.

The exhibition, called Roots2Share, opened on 13 October at the museum of culture and science, Museon, in The Hague.

The aim of the exhibition is to highlight the cultural relationship between Greenland and the Netherlands and their interests in understanding more about the Arctic and how changing ice cover will affect both countries.

ESA's ice mission
Around 100 students were present at the opening to learn more about Greenland and how ice is central to the way of life in the Arctic.

The reduction of ice cover around Greenland may offer new opportunities for navigation and the exploitation of natural resources. At the same time, ice melting from the vast ice sheet that blankets the country is likely have serious consequences for low-lying lands such as the Netherlands and the Maldives.

One of the most important issues is to understand exactly how the ice is changing and what impacts this may bring to all.

By measuring variations in the thickness of the ice floating the in polar oceans and lying on land, CryoSat is collecting essential information to help answer these pressing questions.

Playing an active role in field of water management, Prince Willem-Alexander stated how important it is that CryoSat is providing detailed information on ice so that effective strategies to adapt to climate change can be adopted.

Read more on CryoSat at ESA Portal