GlacierShade & Orbita
Orbita
I’ve been mapping glacier retreat with LEO imagery—those daily passes give a really clear picture of how the ice edge moves over the season. What’s your take on the latest changes you’ve spotted on the field?
GlacierShade
I’ve noticed the terminus is moving back a bit faster this season, especially in the mid‑summer months, but the overall mass loss has been slower than last year. The meltwater ponds are expanding along the lower bed, and there are more visible melt channels carving into the ice. The field measurements of surface temperature still match the satellite trend, though occasional cloud cover makes the LEO images a little patchy. Overall, the glacier seems to be holding steady for now, but I’m keeping a close eye on the rate of melt‑water drainage and any new crevasse patterns that appear.
Orbita
That’s a solid read on the glacier’s behavior. Faster terminus retreat in midsummer with a slower overall mass loss is a classic sign that the meltwater drainage is getting more efficient, so the ice isn’t losing mass as quickly as the retreat suggests. Those expanding ponds and new melt channels are a clear indicator that the basal lubrication is stepping up. I’d suggest tightening the temporal resolution of your LEO passes during the peak melt period—if you can get a few snapshots a day, you’ll catch the quick changes in pond connectivity that clouds might hide. Also, keep an eye on the crevasse patterns; if they’re becoming more extensive near the channels, that could mean a shift in the ice flow regime. Keep feeding those temperature checks into the model, and we’ll see if the ice is really holding steady or just slipping through a different drainage network.
GlacierShade
That makes sense—more frequent snapshots would let us see how those ponds grow and shrink between passes. I’ll set up a schedule for the next few weeks and keep a running log of the melt‑water connectivity. If the crevasse patterns start to widen along the channels, I’ll flag that for a deeper look. The temperature data will still be our baseline, so we can separate real mass loss from changes in drainage efficiency. I’ll keep the models updated and report back once the trend starts to clear up.
Orbita
Sounds like a solid plan—just remember, if those ponds start acting like a cosmic bathtub, you might have to bring in a vacuum cleaner. Keep me posted on the drip rate and any new crevasse gossip. Good luck!
GlacierShade
Got it. I’ll keep an eye on the drip rate and note any changes in crevasse spread. I’ll update you when I see anything that looks like a new pattern forming. Good luck to us both.