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“Nighttime” Images A Petermann Glacier, Greenland story

Glaciers  / 
Water
  1. Earthshots
  2. Petermann Glacier, Greenland
  3. “Nighttime” Images
Description

Landsat 8 normally images all Earth landmasses every 16 days. However, at high latitudes, there is considerable overlap because Landsat 8’s orbital tracks converge at the Poles. As a result, this increases the temporal frequency of Landsat 8 coverage over northern Greenland.

Building on this imaging overlap, Landsat 8 takes advantage of long hours of daylight in the Arctic to acquire “nighttime” sunlit images, increasing temporal coverage even more. The two Landsat 8 images were acquired a little over 3 hours apart, one on its descending orbit and one ascending. Having multiple images increases the chances of acquiring more cloud-free images and helps scientists monitor iceberg calving events.

View Related Imagery & Stories

Location

Aug. 30, 2017, Landsat 8 (path/row 39/1) — 2017 rift, Petermann Glacier, Greenland 3:01:53 p.m. local time in Greenland

Aug. 30, 2017, Landsat 8 (path/row 39/1) — 2017 rift, Petermann Glacier, Greenland 3:01:53 p.m. local time in Greenland

Aug. 30, 2017, Landsat 8 (path/row 55/244) — 2017 rift, Petermann Glacier, Greenland 6:17:40 p.m. local time in Greenland

Aug. 30, 2017, Landsat 8 (path/row 55/244) — 2017 rift, Petermann Glacier, Greenland 6:17:40 p.m. local time in Greenland

Aug. 30, 2017, Landsat 8 (path/row 39/1) — 2017 rift, Petermann Glacier, Greenland 3:01:53 p.m. local time in Greenland
Aug. 30, 2017, Landsat 8 (path/row 55/244) — 2017 rift, Petermann Glacier, Greenland 6:17:40 p.m. local time in Greenland

Petermann Glacier, Greenland Additional Imagery & Stories

2010 Ice Break
2010 Ice Break

Scientists observed rifts in Petermann Glacier throughout the first decade of the 2000s. The rift that caused the 2010 break was first spotted in sate...

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2012 Break
2012 Break

Just two years later, another large iceberg broke off Petermann Glacier. This one was estimated at 130 square kilometers—about half the size of the 20...

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2017 Rift
2017 Rift

A new rift formed on Petermann Glacier in 2017. An older crack to the right of the new rift also extends toward the glacier’s center. By 2020, this ne...

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Seasonal Changes
Seasonal Changes

Landsat 8 has a 16-day repeat cycle. That means it images the same spot on the ground every 16 days. However, there is some overlap at the sides of th...

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The Long Dark Winter
The Long Dark Winter

Compare the two Landsat images from June 24, 2014, and September 19, 2014. At this high latitude, the sun angle becomes very low later in the year. Th...

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