Source
A Bare Summer for Barnes Ice Cap
The Barnes Ice Cap on Canada's Baffin Island lost its snow cover unusually early in summer 2026. By mid-July, the ice cap was mostly bare, revealing meltwater channels and ponds.
Why it matters
Loss of reflective snow allows darker ice to absorb more heat, accelerating melting. This causes meltwater to drain away instead of refreezing, reducing overall ice mass.
The details
- The ice cap spans approximately 5,700 square kilometers on Baffin Island.
- From 2000 to 2020, the ice cap thinned roughly 1 meter per year.
- Average margin retreat was about 4 meters per year over 40 years.
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Key connections
Mauri Pelto works at Nichols College
Mauri Pelto is a glaciologist at Nichols College.
Mauri Pelto uses Landsat 9
Mauri Pelto monitors the Barnes Ice Cap using images from Landsat satellites.
Landsat 9 uses Remote Sensing
Landsat 9 uses remote sensing technology to collect images of Earth's surface.
NASA is a partner of U.S. Geological Survey
NASA partnered with the USGS to advocate for and utilize Earth-observing satellite data.
U.S. Geological Survey is located in United States
The USGS is a United States federal scientific agency.
Related events
Landsat 9 Captures Early Snow Cover Loss on Barnes Ice Cap
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