NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Mission: ICESat-2 Central
Priority: Baseline
 
This baseline mission was last flown in 2017 and surveys nine ICESat-2 tracks of varying time latency. Specifically, the flight captures several different snow and ice surface conditions as well as many IS-2 crossovers.  Two of the IS-2 tracks were replaced (see notes below) to minimize the timing between OIB and IS-2 data collection. We also note the tracks where surface ponding was visible.  The mission also flies over the sites of several shallow ice cores that were collected by the GreenTrACS project.
 
This science mission begins only a short distance from Kangerlussuaq, and we were immediately stunned by the number and size of melt ponds littering the ice-sheet surface.  April temperatures in Greenland have been excessively high, leading to very early onset into the melt season.  The melt ponds stole the show on an otherwise near featureless flight.  As anticipated, the plane encountered frequent bouts of turbulence closer to the ice-sheet edge, which gradually reduced in duration as we migrated inland.  
 
Throughout the flight we were largely under high clouds although portions of clear sky or even patchy low clouds were encountered as well.  Thus, data collection was excellent.  We performed a ramp pass at 2500’ prior to landing. Headwall SWIR was unable to be operated today, but otherwise all instruments worked well. ATM estimates XX% altimetry data recovery.
 
ICESat-2 Tracks (+/- indicates OIB surveyed after/before ICESat-2)
0224, +23 days (surface ponding)
1108, -35 days (surface ponding)
0605, -2 days (substitute)
0041, +35 days
0422, +10 days
1245, + 47 days or - 44 days
0239, +22 days
1169, -39 days (surface ponding)
0620, - 3 days (substitute)