Cryosat mission delivers first sea-ice map (BBC)

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By Jonathan Amos
Science correspondent, BBC News, Paris



This is the best view we have yet had of the thickness of sea-ice across the entire Arctic Ocean basin.

It is the first fully processed map from Europe's new Cryosat spacecraft.

It only covers the months of January and February, but the UK team behind the data says it can now roll out the information on a continuous basis.

The extent of Arctic sea-ice has become a major issue in recent years, with summer melting appearing to outstrip what many climate models had predicted.

But a proper assessment of the status of the sea-ice requires knowledge also about its thickness - something scientists have only recently had the tools to measure from space.
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more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13829785

http://www.esa.int/esaLP/SEMAAW0T1PG_LPcryosat_0.html

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