Evolution of the cracks in the Pine Island Glacier

Using radar images from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission, the animation shows the evolution of the two emerging cracks in the Pine Island Glacier. The sizes of Paris and Manhattan are used a reference to understand the scale of the glacier’s cracks. The Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission carries radar, which can return images regardless of day or night and this allows us year-round viewing, which is especially important through the long, dark winter months.