Mission: Helheim-Kangerdlugssuaq Gap B (priority: high; last flown: 2016)

This mission is designed (along with Helheim-Kangerdlugssuaq Gap A) to refly a 2012 grid over the area of complex terrain between the Helheim and Kangerdlugssuaq Glaciers. Each of these new missions alone forms a coast-parallel grid spaced at 20 km, and the two flights together interlace to form a 10-km grid. This particular mission also reoccupies the centerlines of two glaciers in the area (names unknown). This flight retains a high priority for 2016 because it continues an intra-annual time series with the spring and fall 2015/2016 campaigns along these lines. 

Various weak systems in southern Greenland were slowly clearing today and offered us a clear opportunity to complete this mission along the southeast coast. On our outbound transit, we were pleasantly surprised to able to collect altimetry data all the way to the ice divide, at which point a cloud bank sharply began. Upon arriving at the southeast coast, the clouds mostly cleared, as expected, and the mission proceeded as planned. At our survey altitude (1500’) and throughout the mission along the southeast coast, peak outside air temperatures up to 18ºC were reported by the pilots, but FLIR reported temperatures only slightly above freezing at the surface, suggesting a significant inversion, which a visiting DMI meteorologist confirmed. We also had a visitor from CH2M Polarfield Services. The coast was clear, all instruments performed satisfactorily and we made good enough time to perform additional repeat centerline surveys of Fenris and Helheim glaciers. In a southeastern fjord, we also performed a series of roll and pitch maneuvers for MCoRDS sensitivity testing. The east flank of the ice sheet had broken clouds that again cleared upon reaching the divide. A ramp pass was performed at 4000’. 

Attached images:

1. Map of today’s mission

2. DMS image of the calving front of Fenris Glacier (Eric Fraim/ NASA)

3. ATM T6 surface elevation along the calving front of Fenris Glacier (Matt Linkswiler / NASA)

4. Subglacial outlet along the western ice-sheet margin near Kangerlussuaq (Lauren Andrews / NASA)

5. Wavy surface texture over a col in southeastern Greenland (Lauren Andrews / NASA)

6. Calving front of Helheim Glacier (John Sonntag / NASA)