WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. (AP) - A NASA campaign being launched from Virginia's Eastern Shore is helping improve the understanding of seasonal ice melt around Greenland.
The space agency says a NASA's C-130 research aircraft flew from the Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island this week to Greenland to conduct surveys. Flights are scheduled to continue through Nov. 16.
The data they collect will provide baseline measurements for future satellite missions. The land and sea ice information also will give researchers a more comprehensive view of seasonal changes.
Officials say warm summer temperatures lead to a decline in ice sheet elevation that often can be significant in low-lying areas along the Greenland coast.
