Traditional Inuit Ice Treks Guided From Space

Roland Piquepaille writes "When the Arctic floe melts at spring, the Inuit are going for thousands of years to its edges for fishing and finding game. Now, they are helped by the European Space Agency (ESA) and its satellite which provide accurate maps of ice and its extent. These maps are also useful for tour guides and to improve safety. "The ESA-backed Northern View Floe Edge Information Service provides regularly updated ice maps of inlets around Lancaster Sound, part of Baffin Bay within Canada's Nunavut Territory. Users can access maps from the Floe Edge service directly via a dedicated website, or else consult printouts posted for the public by the local Parks Canada Office." This overview contains more details and references. It also includes an image generated by the Northern View Floe Edge product showing ice conditions."

Comments

Re:My Brain Has Imploded

[Thing 1]

Seriously, though, this is very cool. Melting ice is rather dangerous to be on, no matter how many years of experience you have walking on it. It looks like these maps might help save some lives.

Reminds me of the Niven book "Fallen Angels" in which space-based microwaves are used to assist the travel of the astronauts across the glacier. At one point they strip their clothes off because it's so hot, and meet some Eskimos who are astounded that people can walk naked in freezing weather.