As temperatures drop and winter weather arrives across much of the US, we’re reminded of one of nature’s most stunning features: glaciers. These slow-moving ice formations hold a wealth of information about Earth’s climate, water systems, and ecosystems.
With Lens, conservationists, researchers, and environmental managers can harness the power of remote sensing to monitor glaciers with precision, gaining insights into the effects of climate change and other environmental shifts.
Glaciers are dynamic, constantly shifting in response to weather patterns, seasonal cycles, and long-term climate trends. Monitoring these changes is crucial for understanding their implications for ecosystems and water resources—and Lens offers a powerful suite of tools and datasets to make this easier than ever.
Key datasets available in the Lens Library:
And tools to support monitoring:
The Mendenhall Glacier, located near Juneau, Alaska, offers a stark example of how glaciers are responding to our changing climate. Over the past two decades, this glacier has receded more than 160 feet per year, with melting and calving events dramatically reducing its size.
With Lens, users can explore high-resolution orthomosaic imagery from the Alaska Geospatial Office alongside public Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8 data to track the glacier’s retreat.
Additionally, Lens’ snow index can provide insights into seasonal variations in snowpack, helping researchers identify how changes in snowfall patterns impact conditions on the ground.
In the southern region of Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, glaciers tell their own stories of transformation. One striking example is a calving event, where large chunks of ice break away from the glacier and fall into the sea, as shown in the Sentinel-2 image below.
Lens users can explore this landscape in vivid detail using falsecolor imagery to highlight ice and snow.
Turbidity data can also be helpful to track sediment runoff from glaciers. Time-series analyses also help identify seasonal patterns and deviations year-to-year.
Lens’ tools help identify seasonal patterns and deviations from the norm. As glaciers in this region change, these datasets support efficient and cost-effective monitoring.
Glaciers are more than just majestic features of the landscape—they are vital indicators of the planet’s health. Monitoring their changes helps us understand the pace and impact of climate change, informs water resource management, and supports ecosystem conservation.
With Lens, users can turn satellite data into actionable insights, enhancing stewardship of these frozen giants. Whether you're a researcher analyzing glacial retreat or a conservationist monitoring impacts on nearby water systems, Lens empowers you with the tools to see the big picture—and act on it.
"Last year, I had the chance to visit Alaska, where I was amazed by the scale and beauty of its glaciers. Seeing these icy giants up close deepened my understanding of their fragility and the importance of monitoring how they are changing in a warming world." - Abby Smith, Head of Product, Lens
