CRISTAL patch

Carrying a dual-frequency radar altimeter and a microwave radiometer, the Copernicus Polar Ice and Snow Topography Altimeter, CRISTAL, mission, monitors sea-ice thickness and the depth of the overlying snow. It also measures changes in the height of ice sheets and glaciers around the world. Since ice in its various forms is particularly sensitive to climate change, data from this mission are crucial for understanding and quantifying climate processes.

The mission also supports maritime operations and safety in the changing polar seas, oceanography and sea-level studies, and the monitoring of rivers and lakes worldwide.