NASA study shows glaciers don't just melt—they speed up and slow down with the seasons
NASA scientists spent nearly a decade tracking glaciers using satellite images and found that these giant ice rivers actually move faster or slower depending on the time of year.
The biggest changes happen where summer temperatures go above freezing.
Meltwater makes glaciers slip and slide
When things warm up, meltwater seeps under the glacier, making it more slippery so it moves faster—kind of like when your shoes slide on a wet floor.
Glaciers with big seasonal changes also show small differences from year to year, which depends on their shape and what's happening underneath.
Why does this matter?
Understanding how glaciers react to warming helps predict future ice loss and sea-level rise—pretty important for anyone who cares about coastal cities or climate change.
Thanks to open NASA data, scientists everywhere can keep an eye on what's happening to Earth's ice.