1
00:00:16,750 --> 00:00:13,300
welcome everyone to this Google hangout

2
00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:16,760
about NASA's operation IceBridge ice

3
00:00:21,100 --> 00:00:19,130
bridges NASA's ongoing mission to fly

4
00:00:24,340 --> 00:00:21,110
planes over Earth's North and South

5
00:00:26,070 --> 00:00:24,350
Poles to study ice I'm Laura bets here

6
00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:26,080
at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

7
00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:29,570
we're very fortunate to have two guests

8
00:00:34,930 --> 00:00:32,090
who are just on an ice bridge flight to

9
00:00:38,430 --> 00:00:34,940
Antarctica US ambassador Michael hammer

10
00:00:40,210 --> 00:00:38,440
who is the US ambassador to chilling

11
00:00:43,930 --> 00:00:40,220
honored to have you with us mr.

12
00:00:45,850 --> 00:00:43,940
ambassador it's a pleasure being with

13
00:00:49,990 --> 00:00:45,860
you when I started this was just not

14
00:00:54,180 --> 00:00:50,000
gonna status also on that flight we have

15
00:00:58,330 --> 00:00:54,190
NASA's chief scientist dr. Ellen stofan

16
00:01:00,459 --> 00:00:58,340
welcome dr. Stefan thank you it's great

17
00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:00,469
to be here today but I have to say it

18
00:01:06,490 --> 00:01:02,210
was even better flying over an arm Vicki

19
00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:06,500
yesterday both ambassador hammer and dr.

20
00:01:11,320 --> 00:01:08,930
Stefan are joining us from Chile the

21
00:01:13,719 --> 00:01:11,330
jumping-off point for NASA's flight to

22
00:01:16,780 --> 00:01:13,729
Antarctica from the University of

23
00:01:20,109 --> 00:01:16,790
Washington in Seattle Ben Smith is a

24
00:01:23,710 --> 00:01:20,119
senior ice bridge researcher been thank

25
00:01:25,270 --> 00:01:23,720
you for joining us my pleasure we're

26
00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:25,280
answering your questions if you're

27
00:01:31,810 --> 00:01:28,850
watching live just use hashtag icebridge

28
00:01:35,260 --> 00:01:31,820
and our first question is for ambassador

29
00:01:38,410 --> 00:01:35,270
hammer mr. ambassador you have been

30
00:01:41,740 --> 00:01:38,420
previously posted in Bolivia Norway

31
00:01:43,870 --> 00:01:41,750
Iceland and Denmark and have also served

32
00:01:47,410 --> 00:01:43,880
at the White House and the National

33
00:01:52,179 --> 00:01:47,420
Security Council how and why does the

34
00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:52,189
State Department support science well

35
00:01:55,810 --> 00:01:53,570
thank you very much for that question

36
00:01:56,969 --> 00:01:55,820
and it goes to the core of part of our

37
00:01:59,260 --> 00:01:56,979
mission at the State Department

38
00:02:01,899 --> 00:01:59,270
obviously our focus is to explain

39
00:02:04,569 --> 00:02:01,909
America's foreign policy and to promote

40
00:02:07,719 --> 00:02:04,579
American interest but science is a very

41
00:02:10,629 --> 00:02:07,729
key component of what we do in the sense

42
00:02:12,670 --> 00:02:10,639
that we know that through science we

43
00:02:14,530 --> 00:02:12,680
could solve the world's challenges and

44
00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:14,540
we also know that as a kind

45
00:02:21,220 --> 00:02:17,090
tree the United States can't solve the

46
00:02:24,009 --> 00:02:21,230
problems alone and so science means that

47
00:02:25,990 --> 00:02:24,019
we can work with other governments to

48
00:02:29,410 --> 00:02:26,000
confront for example the current crisis

49
00:02:31,149 --> 00:02:29,420
on Ebola to confront the challenge of

50
00:02:33,670 --> 00:02:31,159
climate change that we were learning

51
00:02:36,369 --> 00:02:33,680
about yesterday through our ice bridge

52
00:02:38,979 --> 00:02:36,379
mission and so even at times when

53
00:02:41,860 --> 00:02:38,989
because of political reasons perhaps

54
00:02:45,369 --> 00:02:41,870
there's tension between countries we

55
00:02:48,460 --> 00:02:45,379
find that scientists still find that

56
00:02:50,679 --> 00:02:48,470
it's easy and wanting to communicate on

57
00:02:52,539 --> 00:02:50,689
the issues that are relevant and so it's

58
00:02:55,780 --> 00:02:52,549
another vehicle through which we the

59
00:02:59,530 --> 00:02:55,790
United States can be contacting other

60
00:03:02,670 --> 00:02:59,540
other folks and connecting them because

61
00:03:05,530 --> 00:03:02,680
science in the day is as I said

62
00:03:07,629 --> 00:03:05,540
important to the United States but to

63
00:03:09,970 --> 00:03:07,639
the world and it's a way that we can

64
00:03:11,920 --> 00:03:09,980
solve the problems that we currently

65
00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:11,930
face for the benefit of future

66
00:03:20,050 --> 00:03:17,090
generations thank you I should also note

67
00:03:22,780 --> 00:03:20,060
that we know that science and technology

68
00:03:25,539 --> 00:03:22,790
are important for creativity innovation

69
00:03:28,599 --> 00:03:25,549
and they help with economic development

70
00:03:30,580 --> 00:03:28,609
and growth which is another core mission

71
00:03:33,550 --> 00:03:30,590
of the State Department promoting

72
00:03:36,580 --> 00:03:33,560
American business and investment but

73
00:03:40,979 --> 00:03:36,590
also through innovation and creativity

74
00:03:43,869 --> 00:03:40,989
which tie in the sciences attract very

75
00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:43,879
important groups of people and through

76
00:03:51,099 --> 00:03:47,090
education we're able to again advanced

77
00:03:52,990 --> 00:03:51,109
another one of our core interests thank

78
00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:53,000
you we have another question for you mr.

79
00:03:59,140 --> 00:03:56,650
ambassador what is science diplomacy

80
00:04:01,360 --> 00:03:59,150
well thank you very much for that

81
00:04:03,129 --> 00:04:01,370
question we have been doing science

82
00:04:05,860 --> 00:04:03,139
diplomacy under the Obama administration

83
00:04:09,159 --> 00:04:05,870
first Under Secretary Clinton and then

84
00:04:11,649 --> 00:04:09,169
now with secretary Kerry because what it

85
00:04:15,189 --> 00:04:11,659
means is that we are again connecting

86
00:04:17,979 --> 00:04:15,199
with people in a way that they can

87
00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:17,989
relate to the United States we find that

88
00:04:23,110 --> 00:04:19,970
science breaks down a lot of barriers

89
00:04:27,219 --> 00:04:23,120
people are problem solvers we find that

90
00:04:27,879 --> 00:04:27,229
it's a way that again we can gloss over

91
00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:27,889
some

92
00:04:33,489 --> 00:04:30,289
other political or economic tensions and

93
00:04:35,379 --> 00:04:33,499
be able to engage with a broad audience

94
00:04:37,300 --> 00:04:35,389
and let's touch on education which is

95
00:04:39,670 --> 00:04:37,310
critically important we know for future

96
00:04:41,679 --> 00:04:39,680
generations people are attracted to the

97
00:04:43,719 --> 00:04:41,689
work of NASA there were attracted to our

98
00:04:45,629 --> 00:04:43,729
universities I'm sure even University of

99
00:04:48,129 --> 00:04:45,639
Washington gets a fair number of

100
00:04:49,570 --> 00:04:48,139
international students and we want to

101
00:04:51,249 --> 00:04:49,580
attract the very best from around the

102
00:04:54,159 --> 00:04:51,259
world and what better way to highlight

103
00:04:56,320 --> 00:04:54,169
what we are able to do in the science

104
00:04:58,480 --> 00:04:56,330
field and to generate the international

105
00:05:01,390 --> 00:04:58,490
cooperation that promotes better

106
00:05:02,559 --> 00:05:01,400
relations between countries so we don't

107
00:05:05,679 --> 00:05:02,569
only have government to government

108
00:05:08,529 --> 00:05:05,689
contacts we want to have scientists like

109
00:05:11,469 --> 00:05:08,539
dr. Ellen stofan with us visiting here

110
00:05:13,959 --> 00:05:11,479
until eight connecting with students as

111
00:05:16,179 --> 00:05:13,969
she has been during her visit connecting

112
00:05:18,820 --> 00:05:16,189
with people at the Antarctic Center here

113
00:05:21,790 --> 00:05:18,830
in Chile and fostering that positive

114
00:05:27,510 --> 00:05:21,800
feeling that allows us to then cooperate

115
00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:27,520
when problems arise well thank you

116
00:05:32,980 --> 00:05:30,289
speaking of transcending borders and

117
00:05:35,850 --> 00:05:32,990
other cultures Ellen your research has

118
00:05:39,399 --> 00:05:35,860
focused on the geology of Venus Mars

119
00:05:41,740 --> 00:05:39,409
Saturn's moon Titan and Earth what is

120
00:05:46,540 --> 00:05:41,750
NASA's role in studying the climate and

121
00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:46,550
polar regions in general you know a lot

122
00:05:49,420 --> 00:05:47,930
of people wonder her you know why does

123
00:05:51,309 --> 00:05:49,430
NASA study the earth well for one thing

124
00:05:54,459 --> 00:05:51,319
the earth is a planet and of course it's

125
00:05:56,379 --> 00:05:54,469
our favorite planet um and by studying

126
00:05:58,629 --> 00:05:56,389
the Earth from space you really get a

127
00:06:00,540 --> 00:05:58,639
global view in that global view is what

128
00:06:04,089 --> 00:06:00,550
you need to study so much of the Earth's

129
00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:04,099
how the earth works because um you have

130
00:06:07,420 --> 00:06:05,810
to pull back from that distance to

131
00:06:09,969 --> 00:06:07,430
really observe processes that are

132
00:06:11,529 --> 00:06:09,979
operating on very large scales how does

133
00:06:13,749 --> 00:06:11,539
the out of the oceans work how do they

134
00:06:15,909 --> 00:06:13,759
interact with the atmosphere what is the

135
00:06:18,249 --> 00:06:15,919
state of health of the polar caps and of

136
00:06:20,740 --> 00:06:18,259
course due to the fact that our climate

137
00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:20,750
is changing it's getting warmer that is

138
00:06:24,790 --> 00:06:22,370
affecting the polar caps we've had

139
00:06:26,499 --> 00:06:24,800
record melting in the Arctic over the

140
00:06:28,779 --> 00:06:26,509
last 10 years the Arctic ice cap gets

141
00:06:30,969 --> 00:06:28,789
smaller and smaller odd it in the

142
00:06:33,519 --> 00:06:30,979
summers exposing a lot more dark ocean

143
00:06:36,159 --> 00:06:33,529
which certainly is affecting climate and

144
00:06:38,379 --> 00:06:36,169
ultimately weather and in Antarctica

145
00:06:40,730 --> 00:06:38,389
some of the ice sheets are not very

146
00:06:43,700 --> 00:06:40,740
healthy they're in a state of collapse

147
00:06:46,730 --> 00:06:43,710
and so we need to monitor this from

148
00:06:49,339 --> 00:06:46,740
space um or we can use aircraft like we

149
00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:49,349
do with ice bridge to go out and fly

150
00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:51,330
over the planet make the measurements

151
00:06:55,460 --> 00:06:53,370
that that we need to make to truly

152
00:06:57,860 --> 00:06:55,470
understand how the planet is operating

153
00:06:59,710 --> 00:06:57,870
we need that from a practical point of

154
00:07:02,300 --> 00:06:59,720
view how can we better understand our

155
00:07:04,550 --> 00:07:02,310
armor climate and how that affects our

156
00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:04,560
weather ah so that we can help people

157
00:07:12,249 --> 00:07:09,930
here on earth our next question is for

158
00:07:16,850 --> 00:07:12,259
been generally what is operation

159
00:07:19,999 --> 00:07:16,860
IceBridge operation IceBridge is an

160
00:07:22,730 --> 00:07:20,009
effort to bridge the gap between two

161
00:07:24,559 --> 00:07:22,740
NASA satellites I sep one and I set to

162
00:07:27,230 --> 00:07:24,569
now both of these satellites are

163
00:07:29,270 --> 00:07:27,240
altimeters they measure the height of

164
00:07:31,939 --> 00:07:29,280
the ice sheet I step one finish in about

165
00:07:34,939 --> 00:07:31,949
two thousand nine and I SAT two should

166
00:07:36,529 --> 00:07:34,949
launch sometime in 2017 so these are

167
00:07:37,790 --> 00:07:36,539
both really valuable missions for

168
00:07:39,830 --> 00:07:37,800
telling us what the ice sheets were

169
00:07:41,540 --> 00:07:39,840
doing they showed us that the ice sheet

170
00:07:43,820 --> 00:07:41,550
Heights the ice at one showed us that

171
00:07:47,930 --> 00:07:43,830
the ice sheet heights were sinking in a

172
00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:47,940
lot of places and i SAT to will continue

173
00:07:52,249 --> 00:07:50,490
that series of measurements when I

174
00:07:53,689 --> 00:07:52,259
watched but in the meantime we have sort

175
00:07:55,790 --> 00:07:53,699
of a gap in the data and so we're

176
00:07:57,409 --> 00:07:55,800
filling that gap by flying airplanes

177
00:07:59,930 --> 00:07:57,419
that make the same kind of measurements

178
00:08:02,240 --> 00:07:59,940
as these two satellites now of course

179
00:08:04,310 --> 00:08:02,250
you can't fly an airplane everywhere all

180
00:08:06,439 --> 00:08:04,320
the time so we've had to be a little bit

181
00:08:08,689 --> 00:08:06,449
smart about where we might to send these

182
00:08:11,629 --> 00:08:08,699
airplanes so we've focused on some

183
00:08:13,730 --> 00:08:11,639
important areas one of them is the part

184
00:08:16,279 --> 00:08:13,740
of Antarctica that's closest to South

185
00:08:17,930 --> 00:08:16,289
America so Pine Island glacier in the

186
00:08:19,339 --> 00:08:17,940
Thwaites glacier are really exciting

187
00:08:22,070 --> 00:08:19,349
places because they're changing a lot

188
00:08:23,420 --> 00:08:22,080
and the some other places are in

189
00:08:25,309 --> 00:08:23,430
Greenland where we know that glaciers

190
00:08:27,020 --> 00:08:25,319
are changing really rapidly and then

191
00:08:28,610 --> 00:08:27,030
beyond getting those places we try and

192
00:08:31,580 --> 00:08:28,620
make the measurements everywhere else we

193
00:08:33,740 --> 00:08:31,590
can as best we can now since we're

194
00:08:35,930 --> 00:08:33,750
flying these airplanes with the laser

195
00:08:37,490 --> 00:08:35,940
altimeter some of them we might as well

196
00:08:38,870 --> 00:08:37,500
put some other instruments on the

197
00:08:41,060 --> 00:08:38,880
airplane at the same time you get a

198
00:08:43,069 --> 00:08:41,070
little bit more bang for our buck so

199
00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:43,079
among the instruments that we have on

200
00:08:48,410 --> 00:08:46,050
the airplane is a nice penetrating radar

201
00:08:51,110 --> 00:08:48,420
which tells you how thick the ice is

202
00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:51,120
which is really important from being

203
00:08:54,570 --> 00:08:53,250
able to make predictions of what the ice

204
00:08:57,240 --> 00:08:54,580
sheet is going to do in the future

205
00:08:59,280 --> 00:08:57,250
after understanding how speed changes in

206
00:09:00,870 --> 00:08:59,290
the ice sheet affect sea level and

207
00:09:02,580 --> 00:09:00,880
there's some other measurements that

208
00:09:04,410 --> 00:09:02,590
tell us how much snow is on top of the

209
00:09:06,450 --> 00:09:04,420
ice sheet how much snow has fallen

210
00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:06,460
recently and how much snow has fallen in

211
00:09:10,620 --> 00:09:09,010
the past and some instruments that tell

212
00:09:12,900 --> 00:09:10,630
us about the temperature of the ice and

213
00:09:15,140 --> 00:09:12,910
if there's open water the temperature of

214
00:09:16,980 --> 00:09:15,150
the water so it's an airplane that's

215
00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:16,990
festooned with all sorts of great

216
00:09:21,450 --> 00:09:18,490
instruments and it's really producing

217
00:09:22,830 --> 00:09:21,460
fantastic data sets that have that have

218
00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:22,840
really helped us know what the ice

219
00:09:27,870 --> 00:09:24,130
sheets are doing what they might do the

220
00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:27,880
future we have a question from Twitter

221
00:09:35,610 --> 00:09:33,010
at floor Torian how does one navigate

222
00:09:37,500 --> 00:09:35,620
down there given that east and west is

223
00:09:39,560 --> 00:09:37,510
near meaningless and everything is north

224
00:09:43,980 --> 00:09:39,570
of you been would you like to take that

225
00:09:46,950 --> 00:09:43,990
yeah navigating with GPS and the poles

226
00:09:51,270 --> 00:09:46,960
is really not that hard you start out

227
00:09:54,180 --> 00:09:51,280
with a map that's has Antarctica in this

228
00:09:55,770 --> 00:09:54,190
in the center of the map and then you

229
00:09:58,350 --> 00:09:55,780
just draw the lens you'd like to fly

230
00:10:00,570 --> 00:09:58,360
upload those to your GPS and the GPS

231
00:10:02,010 --> 00:10:00,580
will take you where you need to go so if

232
00:10:04,310 --> 00:10:02,020
you're doing this with a compass it can

233
00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:04,320
get really confusing and that's because

234
00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:07,450
compass will always point north and in

235
00:10:11,010 --> 00:10:09,250
fact in Antarctica a compass will point

236
00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:11,020
in a lot of different directions because

237
00:10:14,460 --> 00:10:12,250
the magnetic field is kind of

238
00:10:20,090 --> 00:10:14,470
complicated down there but with GPS

239
00:10:24,780 --> 00:10:22,680
then another question for you how do

240
00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:24,790
these changes to the ice and polar

241
00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:28,210
regions impact impact us thousands of

242
00:10:33,060 --> 00:10:31,090
miles away well the one that we're

243
00:10:34,650 --> 00:10:33,070
always the most interested in is sea

244
00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:34,660
level change because that affects the

245
00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:38,650
whole planet at once so as I sleeves

246
00:10:43,500 --> 00:10:40,930
Antarctica or leaves Greenland and goes

247
00:10:45,930 --> 00:10:43,510
into the ocean unless it's replaced by

248
00:10:50,820 --> 00:10:45,940
new snowfall that's going to make the

249
00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:50,830
ocean levels rise so for just

250
00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:53,770
back-of-the-envelope calculations 360

251
00:10:58,530 --> 00:10:56,170
cubic kilometers of ice removed from

252
00:11:02,700 --> 00:10:58,540
Antarctica and added to the ocean equals

253
00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:02,710
one millimeter of sea level we like to

254
00:11:05,730 --> 00:11:04,330
make measurements in places where we

255
00:11:07,950 --> 00:11:05,740
know that the ice sheet is changing

256
00:11:08,340 --> 00:11:07,960
rapidly because it's easier to have

257
00:11:10,260 --> 00:11:08,350
measure

258
00:11:11,610 --> 00:11:10,270
that are greater than the errors but we

259
00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:11,620
also like to know what the whole ice

260
00:11:17,250 --> 00:11:15,610
sheet is doing at once so once i SAT two

261
00:11:19,050 --> 00:11:17,260
is up we'll have sort of ice sheet wide

262
00:11:20,100 --> 00:11:19,060
measurements but for the meantime we're

263
00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:20,110
looking at the places that are changing

264
00:11:23,700 --> 00:11:22,210
the most rapidly because those will have

265
00:11:28,350 --> 00:11:23,710
the greatest impact on sea level in the

266
00:11:31,260 --> 00:11:28,360
short term we're still collecting

267
00:11:33,930 --> 00:11:31,270
questions at hashtag ice bridge here's

268
00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:33,940
another one for Ellen why is it called

269
00:11:41,370 --> 00:11:38,650
ice bridge well because it studies the

270
00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:41,380
ice again in the arse of northern North

271
00:11:44,970 --> 00:11:43,090
American summer we go up to the Arctic

272
00:11:46,890 --> 00:11:44,980
we go to Greenland look at the the

273
00:11:48,780 --> 00:11:46,900
extent of thickness of the Arctic ice

274
00:11:50,580 --> 00:11:48,790
cap then we go to Greenland make lots of

275
00:11:51,930 --> 00:11:50,590
measurements in that area to understand

276
00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:51,940
the state of the Greenland ice sheet in

277
00:11:57,630 --> 00:11:55,330
ah now it's in down here in South

278
00:11:59,880 --> 00:11:57,640
America it's spring going towards summer

279
00:12:02,820 --> 00:11:59,890
so we bring the aircraft down here and

280
00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:02,830
fly over Antarctica so we're studying

281
00:12:08,850 --> 00:12:05,650
ice at both poles and we're bridging ice

282
00:12:12,020 --> 00:12:08,860
bridge on the gap as Ben was talking

283
00:12:14,190 --> 00:12:12,030
about between i SAT one and i SAT two um

284
00:12:15,420 --> 00:12:14,200
and it's actually a really great

285
00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:15,430
opportunity because when you have

286
00:12:19,620 --> 00:12:17,410
instruments on an airplane rather than

287
00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:19,630
up in space you can keep improving them

288
00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:22,450
you can keep thinking as Ben was saying

289
00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:23,770
what other instruments can we bring

290
00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:25,450
along with this it's easy to swap things

291
00:12:29,910 --> 00:12:27,850
in and out so it really allows us to

292
00:12:32,220 --> 00:12:29,920
optimize the instruments really get at

293
00:12:34,050 --> 00:12:32,230
how can we make the best bring the best

294
00:12:36,570 --> 00:12:34,060
instruments along so that we can really

295
00:12:38,430 --> 00:12:36,580
understand what's happening in these

296
00:12:42,570 --> 00:12:38,440
polar regions where climate change is

297
00:12:45,150 --> 00:12:42,580
making things change just so rapidly we

298
00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:45,160
have a Twitter question from at fit

299
00:12:52,770 --> 00:12:48,130
Orion what data are you collecting with

300
00:12:54,450 --> 00:12:52,780
these flights been there are quite a few

301
00:12:56,670 --> 00:12:54,460
different instruments that are on the

302
00:12:58,890 --> 00:12:56,680
airplane one of the most important is

303
00:13:01,530 --> 00:12:58,900
the laser altimeter measurements and

304
00:13:03,260 --> 00:13:01,540
that's just where you send a pulse laser

305
00:13:05,580 --> 00:13:03,270
down to the surface of the ice and

306
00:13:07,020 --> 00:13:05,590
measure the time it takes to go from the

307
00:13:08,820 --> 00:13:07,030
airplane to the ice and back that tells

308
00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:08,830
you how high the surface of the ice is

309
00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:11,290
and if you measure that more than once

310
00:13:14,910 --> 00:13:12,970
if you measure that this hearing next

311
00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:14,920
year you can see how much the surface of

312
00:13:19,340 --> 00:13:17,890
the ice is going up or gone down the

313
00:13:21,430 --> 00:13:19,350
other measurements we have are from

314
00:13:23,890 --> 00:13:21,440
radars so

315
00:13:26,290 --> 00:13:23,900
one radar system measures the thickness

316
00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:26,300
of the ice it sends pulses radar energy

317
00:13:29,980 --> 00:13:28,250
that travel all the way through the ice

318
00:13:32,350 --> 00:13:29,990
sheet bounced off the bottom and come

319
00:13:33,850 --> 00:13:32,360
back to the airplane so you know the

320
00:13:36,460 --> 00:13:33,860
time that takes you can figure out how

321
00:13:39,460 --> 00:13:36,470
thick the ice is another set of radars

322
00:13:41,380 --> 00:13:39,470
measures the ice right near the surface

323
00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:41,390
so it measures the snow layers that are

324
00:13:45,010 --> 00:13:43,370
right close to the surface if you see

325
00:13:47,860 --> 00:13:45,020
how thick those layers are you can tell

326
00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:47,870
how much it's been snowing and that

327
00:13:52,630 --> 00:13:50,210
tells you how much snow has been added

328
00:13:54,370 --> 00:13:52,640
back to the ice sheet these things also

329
00:13:56,470 --> 00:13:54,380
operate over sea ice and they can be

330
00:13:58,300 --> 00:13:56,480
used to measure how thick the sea ice is

331
00:14:00,310 --> 00:13:58,310
and how thick the snow on the sea ice is

332
00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:00,320
and then we have some other measurements

333
00:14:05,530 --> 00:14:04,130
that tell about the temperatures of the

334
00:14:09,070 --> 00:14:05,540
surface and the temperature of the

335
00:14:10,780 --> 00:14:09,080
atmosphere we have measurements that we

336
00:14:15,730 --> 00:14:10,790
have cameras that take pictures of the

337
00:14:17,590 --> 00:14:15,740
ice below the below the airplane and we

338
00:14:19,660 --> 00:14:17,600
have some measurements of infrared

339
00:14:20,710 --> 00:14:19,670
radiation around the end of the airplane

340
00:14:25,570 --> 00:14:20,720
which are important for understanding

341
00:14:29,650 --> 00:14:25,580
how sea ice forms and grows so that's

342
00:14:32,230 --> 00:14:29,660
that's the mission in a nutshell Thank

343
00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:32,240
You Ellen and Michael what was it like

344
00:14:40,330 --> 00:14:37,010
on the flight yesterday wow that's the

345
00:14:42,580 --> 00:14:40,340
scientific explanation no frankly it was

346
00:14:45,700 --> 00:14:42,590
really truly remarkable one dreams of

347
00:14:48,790 --> 00:14:45,710
perhaps someday being able to see

348
00:14:50,890 --> 00:14:48,800
Antarctica but actually doing it is is

349
00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:50,900
really an incredible experience and also

350
00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:53,090
to learn from the crew and incredible

351
00:14:57,100 --> 00:14:55,010
scientists that are on the board as they

352
00:14:59,650 --> 00:14:57,110
were explained to us exactly what was

353
00:15:01,960 --> 00:14:59,660
going on so it's not only the sides but

354
00:15:03,610 --> 00:15:01,970
also the remarkable effort in science

355
00:15:06,010 --> 00:15:03,620
that's behind all this so for me as a

356
00:15:08,350 --> 00:15:06,020
diplomat here I was learning things that

357
00:15:09,910 --> 00:15:08,360
you know you were very curious about but

358
00:15:11,890 --> 00:15:09,920
to see it in real life and see the

359
00:15:13,390 --> 00:15:11,900
natural beauty is really quite

360
00:15:14,890 --> 00:15:13,400
spectacular and you're seeing some of

361
00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:14,900
the images there in the background well

362
00:15:20,230 --> 00:15:16,730
it truly is like that just this

363
00:15:21,940 --> 00:15:20,240
incredible expense of ice and then the

364
00:15:24,250 --> 00:15:21,950
mix with the water in the mountains that

365
00:15:26,170 --> 00:15:24,260
you see is is really phenomenal and I

366
00:15:28,410 --> 00:15:26,180
certainly had a great time it was 11

367
00:15:30,820 --> 00:15:28,420
hours but it seems go by in a flash

368
00:15:33,130 --> 00:15:30,830
because we were sort of busy trying to

369
00:15:35,369 --> 00:15:33,140
absorb it all and learning really what's

370
00:15:37,379 --> 00:15:35,379
going on and the incredible

371
00:15:39,239 --> 00:15:37,389
versity of the crew in fact of the

372
00:15:40,969 --> 00:15:39,249
people that were there from different

373
00:15:43,589 --> 00:15:40,979
parts of the country different

374
00:15:45,449 --> 00:15:43,599
backgrounds all working together to try

375
00:15:47,189 --> 00:15:45,459
to really understand that the science

376
00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:47,199
behind climate change in the impact that

377
00:15:51,749 --> 00:15:48,970
that eventually will have you know for

378
00:15:53,789 --> 00:15:51,759
policymakers as we feed them the data so

379
00:15:54,889 --> 00:15:53,799
that they can make smart decisions and

380
00:15:57,809 --> 00:15:54,899
it's something again we appreciate

381
00:16:00,269 --> 00:15:57,819
Chile's cooperation in this and letting

382
00:16:01,979 --> 00:16:00,279
assumes do these these missions out of

383
00:16:04,169 --> 00:16:01,989
put that in is where we are here today I

384
00:16:06,269 --> 00:16:04,179
think the thing that surprised me the

385
00:16:08,549 --> 00:16:06,279
most about about the trip yesterday was

386
00:16:10,079 --> 00:16:08,559
first of all how smooth it was um you

387
00:16:12,599 --> 00:16:10,089
know my children can attest to the fact

388
00:16:14,789 --> 00:16:12,609
i'm not the calmest airplane flyer in

389
00:16:16,829 --> 00:16:14,799
the world and this was probably the

390
00:16:19,799 --> 00:16:16,839
smoothest flight i have ever gone on the

391
00:16:22,169 --> 00:16:19,809
pilots were amazing um and then just

392
00:16:24,869 --> 00:16:22,179
being able to look out the window and

393
00:16:28,249 --> 00:16:24,879
you see the beautiful um Antarctic

394
00:16:31,979 --> 00:16:28,259
continent on the ice surrounding it and

395
00:16:34,859 --> 00:16:31,989
just thinking about the impacts that

396
00:16:36,319 --> 00:16:34,869
humans are having um through putting

397
00:16:38,549 --> 00:16:36,329
green house at gases into the atmosphere

398
00:16:41,009 --> 00:16:38,559
causing these immense changes that are

399
00:16:43,919 --> 00:16:41,019
occurring at our poles it kind of

400
00:16:45,719 --> 00:16:43,929
reaffirmed to me on that certainly at

401
00:16:47,609 --> 00:16:45,729
NASA we need to continue making the best

402
00:16:49,859 --> 00:16:47,619
measurements we can't understand how

403
00:16:52,469 --> 00:16:49,869
climate change is affecting our planet

404
00:16:54,479 --> 00:16:52,479
um but certainly again this idea that

405
00:17:03,239 --> 00:16:54,489
it's our responsibility to help protect

406
00:17:08,069 --> 00:17:03,249
this planet also so we're very fortunate

407
00:17:11,399 --> 00:17:08,079
to have one of NASA's video producers

408
00:17:14,369 --> 00:17:11,409
here who has been on five different ice

409
00:17:16,649 --> 00:17:14,379
bridge this is Jefferson Beck here with

410
00:17:19,169 --> 00:17:16,659
us today and Jefferson could you tell us

411
00:17:21,509 --> 00:17:19,179
a little bit about what a typical day is

412
00:17:24,419 --> 00:17:21,519
like sure well we've heard a little bit

413
00:17:27,029 --> 00:17:24,429
about it already but basically you're

414
00:17:28,799 --> 00:17:27,039
waking up at very early you're in for a

415
00:17:31,019 --> 00:17:28,809
long day but it's an exciting day waking

416
00:17:33,529 --> 00:17:31,029
up at we're heading out from the hotel

417
00:17:36,539 --> 00:17:33,539
about five in the morning heading to the

418
00:17:38,070 --> 00:17:36,549
out to the airstrip and you don't know

419
00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:38,080
if you're flying at all and you don't

420
00:17:45,060 --> 00:17:42,210
know if you're going to be flying over

421
00:17:48,900 --> 00:17:45,070
beautiful sea ice formations in the wood

422
00:17:50,550 --> 00:17:48,910
LC for example

423
00:17:53,310 --> 00:17:50,560
you can see a shot of the of the

424
00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:53,320
aircraft right now taking off from when

425
00:17:58,560 --> 00:17:55,090
Terrenas a little bit sped up as you can

426
00:18:00,720 --> 00:17:58,570
tell in this in this first shot and you

427
00:18:02,220 --> 00:18:00,730
make the long three or four hour transit

428
00:18:04,230 --> 00:18:02,230
to your science area then you spend

429
00:18:06,210 --> 00:18:04,240
about five or six areas coming back and

430
00:18:07,110 --> 00:18:06,220
forth getting the data you need here are

431
00:18:09,330 --> 00:18:07,120
some of those beautiful sea ice

432
00:18:10,980 --> 00:18:09,340
formations I was referencing you might

433
00:18:13,170 --> 00:18:10,990
see some beautiful icebergs they're

434
00:18:16,380 --> 00:18:13,180
stuck in the sea ice which is the frozen

435
00:18:18,090 --> 00:18:16,390
sea water or some giant tabular icebergs

436
00:18:21,180 --> 00:18:18,100
of these guys that you're seeing now are

437
00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:21,190
50 meters thick perhaps and a lot

438
00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:23,170
thicker below the water and as big as a

439
00:18:28,460 --> 00:18:26,170
runway or you could be flying over a

440
00:18:31,110 --> 00:18:28,470
land ice mission seeing these crevasses

441
00:18:33,300 --> 00:18:31,120
they flew around the South Pole a couple

442
00:18:36,590 --> 00:18:33,310
days ago did a little loop i think at 88

443
00:18:40,470 --> 00:18:36,600
degrees over the pine island glacier

444
00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:40,480
some some pretty stunning scenery this

445
00:18:44,940 --> 00:18:42,490
is the edge of an ice sheet where it

446
00:18:48,090 --> 00:18:44,950
meets the ocean again meeting sea ice

447
00:18:50,010 --> 00:18:48,100
there at the edge or one of my favorite

448
00:18:52,020 --> 00:18:50,020
parts is flying over the Antarctic

449
00:18:55,140 --> 00:18:52,030
Peninsula or you can see these are

450
00:18:57,420 --> 00:18:55,150
almost Alpine like glaciers here some

451
00:18:59,430 --> 00:18:57,430
pretty stunning scenery but also what I

452
00:19:01,050 --> 00:18:59,440
really enjoy is you know you're you're

453
00:19:03,780 --> 00:19:01,060
going back and forth it's a long day

454
00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:03,790
taking a few moments out to just kind of

455
00:19:07,980 --> 00:19:05,770
stare out the window at the expanse of

456
00:19:09,690 --> 00:19:07,990
ice below you try to get a sense for

457
00:19:12,750 --> 00:19:09,700
that scale of the kilometers of ice

458
00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:12,760
below and out in every direction it's

459
00:19:17,910 --> 00:19:14,890
like almost like a hot air balloon ride

460
00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:17,920
sometimes it's so smooth and then I

461
00:19:21,330 --> 00:19:20,170
guess on the on the way back people are

462
00:19:24,780 --> 00:19:21,340
kind of catching up on their data

463
00:19:26,100 --> 00:19:24,790
processing there you know grabbing some

464
00:19:28,740 --> 00:19:26,110
meals they may have missed maybe even

465
00:19:30,690 --> 00:19:28,750
sleeping because you've got another big

466
00:19:32,460 --> 00:19:30,700
day ahead of you the next day and and

467
00:19:34,140 --> 00:19:32,470
here's the aircraft crew you know

468
00:19:38,310 --> 00:19:34,150
getting the aircraft ready for operation

469
00:19:41,100 --> 00:19:38,320
the next day so what's the coolest thing

470
00:19:43,020 --> 00:19:41,110
you've seen seen a lot of cool things I

471
00:19:46,260 --> 00:19:43,030
think flying over this massive crack in

472
00:19:47,940 --> 00:19:46,270
the Pine Island glacier again as deep as

473
00:19:49,820 --> 00:19:47,950
the Statue of Liberty is high and then

474
00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:49,830
eight times below that below water

475
00:19:55,350 --> 00:19:53,170
creating a ice about to calve off a

476
00:19:57,720 --> 00:19:55,360
giant iceberg the size of all of New

477
00:19:58,890 --> 00:19:57,730
York City that was pretty cool is a

478
00:20:01,950 --> 00:19:58,900
crack that wasn't there a few days

479
00:20:02,790 --> 00:20:01,960
before we flew and and there it was 20

480
00:20:05,820 --> 00:20:02,800
some may become

481
00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:05,830
there's long so some cool stuff thank

482
00:20:12,180 --> 00:20:09,850
you jack are centrally so the ice bridge

483
00:20:16,110 --> 00:20:12,190
flight today is to Pine Island glacier

484
00:20:19,380 --> 00:20:16,120
in West Antarctica been earlier this

485
00:20:21,810 --> 00:20:19,390
spring NASA scientists and you and your

486
00:20:24,420 --> 00:20:21,820
colleagues published reports saying that

487
00:20:27,740 --> 00:20:24,430
this region of West Antarctica was an

488
00:20:31,830 --> 00:20:27,750
irreversible decline what does that mean

489
00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:31,840
well what it means is that given the way

490
00:20:36,810 --> 00:20:34,210
we think that the ice is melting at the

491
00:20:39,360 --> 00:20:36,820
bottom right now if it keeps going like

492
00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:39,370
that in the next couple hundred years

493
00:20:43,980 --> 00:20:41,170
the amount of ice coming out of that

494
00:20:46,500 --> 00:20:43,990
region will double and it will keep

495
00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:46,510
going at that rate or a slightly greater

496
00:20:52,020 --> 00:20:50,050
rate for the foreseeable future and if

497
00:20:53,940 --> 00:20:52,030
it keeps doing that eventually we won't

498
00:20:56,730 --> 00:20:53,950
have much of an anti West Antarctic Ice

499
00:20:59,190 --> 00:20:56,740
Sheet left so what we've found is that

500
00:21:01,920 --> 00:20:59,200
this glacier has been pushed to the

501
00:21:05,100 --> 00:21:01,930
point or if we keep pushing it like that

502
00:21:07,500 --> 00:21:05,110
or even a little bit less ice will keep

503
00:21:09,630 --> 00:21:07,510
flowing into it ice will soon start

504
00:21:11,130 --> 00:21:09,640
flowing into the ocean faster and then a

505
00:21:13,670 --> 00:21:11,140
lot of ice will leave the continent and

506
00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:13,680
end up in the ocean now this isn't a

507
00:21:21,540 --> 00:21:17,410
huge immediate contribution to sea level

508
00:21:22,980 --> 00:21:21,550
rise it's not like the oceans are going

509
00:21:26,730 --> 00:21:22,990
to rise up and swallow in New York City

510
00:21:28,740 --> 00:21:26,740
next year but it is a big change that we

511
00:21:33,660 --> 00:21:28,750
can be fairly confident is happening and

512
00:21:35,550 --> 00:21:33,670
happening fairly soon so that was a

513
00:21:38,430 --> 00:21:35,560
result that we were able to do because

514
00:21:42,450 --> 00:21:38,440
we have new measurements of the ice

515
00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:42,460
thickness in this area I guess there are

516
00:21:45,300 --> 00:21:43,690
two important things about it we have

517
00:21:46,950 --> 00:21:45,310
measurements of ice thicknesses in the

518
00:21:48,870 --> 00:21:46,960
area and we have measurements of height

519
00:21:50,670 --> 00:21:48,880
change that's ongoing in the area

520
00:21:52,620 --> 00:21:50,680
without the measurements of ice

521
00:21:54,540 --> 00:21:52,630
thickness we wouldn't be able to predict

522
00:21:57,540 --> 00:21:54,550
with any confidence what might happen in

523
00:21:59,940 --> 00:21:57,550
the future and if we didn't know that

524
00:22:02,940 --> 00:21:59,950
the surface was already dropping in this

525
00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:02,950
area pretty rapidly there's almost no

526
00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:04,210
way that we would have believed the

527
00:22:08,910 --> 00:22:06,850
results that we got from our model so

528
00:22:10,350 --> 00:22:08,920
these two things together are what we

529
00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:10,360
really need to understand what's

530
00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:13,330
happening in areas like this

531
00:22:18,090 --> 00:22:15,610
another question for you been so we're

532
00:22:20,220 --> 00:22:18,100
talking about a mission studying changes

533
00:22:25,230 --> 00:22:20,230
in ice melting what's driving these

534
00:22:27,570 --> 00:22:25,240
changes well the probably the main thing

535
00:22:30,750 --> 00:22:27,580
that's driving changes in ice melt in

536
00:22:33,750 --> 00:22:30,760
West Antarctica is the way the oceans

537
00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:33,760
are flowing so the surface temperature

538
00:22:40,890 --> 00:22:36,250
hasn't changed a whole lot on the

539
00:22:42,570 --> 00:22:40,900
Antarctic continent but we see the

540
00:22:44,580 --> 00:22:42,580
surface going down we know that the ice

541
00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:44,590
is melting quite a bit more so the way

542
00:22:48,540 --> 00:22:46,450
that has to be happening is that ocean

543
00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:48,550
temperatures have gotten warmer right at

544
00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:50,050
the bottom of the ice sheet where the

545
00:22:54,060 --> 00:22:52,330
ice sheet meets the ocean and when the

546
00:22:57,540 --> 00:22:54,070
water temperature goes up it's very very

547
00:22:59,480 --> 00:22:57,550
good at melting more ice so I we are

548
00:23:02,520 --> 00:22:59,490
pretty sure that there are areas where

549
00:23:04,500 --> 00:23:02,530
150 meters of ice are melting off the

550
00:23:06,810 --> 00:23:04,510
bottom of the ice sheet every year this

551
00:23:09,360 --> 00:23:06,820
is close to the grounding lines of Pine

552
00:23:11,220 --> 00:23:09,370
Island awaits glaciers and probably the

553
00:23:13,890 --> 00:23:11,230
increase in that melt over the last few

554
00:23:15,780 --> 00:23:13,900
years has driven the big changes that

555
00:23:17,490 --> 00:23:15,790
we've seen we also know that the ocean

556
00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:17,500
has gotten warmer over the same period

557
00:23:21,450 --> 00:23:19,690
and there seems to be a pretty fair

558
00:23:23,130 --> 00:23:21,460
correlation between the changes in the

559
00:23:25,230 --> 00:23:23,140
temperature of the ocean and the changes

560
00:23:26,820 --> 00:23:25,240
in the melting of the ice sheet if you

561
00:23:29,580 --> 00:23:26,830
look on the internet a peninsula which

562
00:23:34,350 --> 00:23:29,590
is the thumb of Antarctica so right

563
00:23:36,810 --> 00:23:34,360
there the changes probably have a lot to

564
00:23:41,370 --> 00:23:36,820
do also with changes in the air

565
00:23:42,900 --> 00:23:41,380
temperature because we know that the air

566
00:23:44,130 --> 00:23:42,910
has gotten a lot warmer in the peninsula

567
00:23:49,410 --> 00:23:44,140
even though it hasn't changed very much

568
00:23:52,770 --> 00:23:49,420
on the continent itself so then what

569
00:23:54,360 --> 00:23:52,780
happens to the world as we lose ice the

570
00:23:57,080 --> 00:23:54,370
big thing that happens is the sea level

571
00:23:59,340 --> 00:23:57,090
goes up and when sea level goes up

572
00:24:02,580 --> 00:23:59,350
places where there are a lot of people

573
00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:02,590
living close to the ocean can start to

574
00:24:07,980 --> 00:24:05,650
go underwater I guess the big effects

575
00:24:09,630 --> 00:24:07,990
are places where the land is really flat

576
00:24:11,790 --> 00:24:09,640
near the near the edge of the water and

577
00:24:14,370 --> 00:24:11,800
New Orleans would be a good example of

578
00:24:16,050 --> 00:24:14,380
that a lot of places where people are

579
00:24:18,090 --> 00:24:16,060
living at the mouths of rivers which are

580
00:24:19,950 --> 00:24:18,100
good places if you want to have a port

581
00:24:21,810 --> 00:24:19,960
if you want to have commerce up and down

582
00:24:23,940 --> 00:24:21,820
the river but they're sort of bad places

583
00:24:26,070 --> 00:24:23,950
to be as the sea level is rising the

584
00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:26,080
other thing that happens is that storm

585
00:24:28,950 --> 00:24:27,250
surges get worse

586
00:24:31,380 --> 00:24:28,960
so when there's a hurricane that pushes

587
00:24:32,970 --> 00:24:31,390
water up on shore if sea level is higher

588
00:24:35,340 --> 00:24:32,980
that storm surge can reach farther

589
00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:35,350
inland so those are the things that we

590
00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:39,010
worry about as sea level rises there are

591
00:24:42,510 --> 00:24:40,570
also some changes that relate to this

592
00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:42,520
changes in sea ice so sea ice has

593
00:24:49,140 --> 00:24:45,730
declined tremendously in the Arctic it

594
00:24:51,510 --> 00:24:49,150
hasn't changed much in the Antarctic but

595
00:24:53,490 --> 00:24:51,520
as sea level goes away that allows more

596
00:24:55,230 --> 00:24:53,500
heat exchange between the ocean and the

597
00:24:58,100 --> 00:24:55,240
atmosphere and that can have a big

598
00:25:00,270 --> 00:24:58,110
effect on changing weather patterns so

599
00:25:03,770 --> 00:25:00,280
there's a big component of ice bridge

600
00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:03,780
that make measures changes in sea ice I

601
00:25:07,860 --> 00:25:06,010
some seasons they get about half the

602
00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:07,870
flights for the sea ice and that'll also

603
00:25:13,530 --> 00:25:09,250
be an important set of measurements that

604
00:25:16,590 --> 00:25:13,540
I set to will do when it goes up so

605
00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:16,600
we've seen icy ice losses in the Arctic

606
00:25:25,470 --> 00:25:19,330
but sea ice gains in the Antarctic why

607
00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:25,480
is that the sea ice losses in the Arctic

608
00:25:29,970 --> 00:25:28,050
are a combination of warmer weather and

609
00:25:31,740 --> 00:25:29,980
changes in the way that the wind is

610
00:25:34,170 --> 00:25:31,750
blowing which tent have tended to be

611
00:25:37,380 --> 00:25:34,180
more effective at pushing ice out of the

612
00:25:39,420 --> 00:25:37,390
Arctic Basin in the Antarctic it's not

613
00:25:43,070 --> 00:25:39,430
as clear what the change is that's

614
00:25:47,820 --> 00:25:45,420
Antarctic sea ice is different from

615
00:25:50,310 --> 00:25:47,830
arctic sea ice in that it typically only

616
00:25:52,530 --> 00:25:50,320
lasts one year in the Arctic you can

617
00:25:55,590 --> 00:25:52,540
have sea ice that's trapped amongst all

618
00:25:58,650 --> 00:25:55,600
the islands and things that can will

619
00:26:01,980 --> 00:25:58,660
last for decades and so that can be

620
00:26:03,630 --> 00:26:01,990
important in sort of carrying over

621
00:26:05,910 --> 00:26:03,640
temperature changes from one year to the

622
00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:05,920
next and the Antarctic it's purely

623
00:26:08,670 --> 00:26:07,090
determined by the weather this year

624
00:26:11,700 --> 00:26:08,680
because it all goes away at the end of

625
00:26:15,540 --> 00:26:11,710
the year so there are fundamentally

626
00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:15,550
different systems and the the way the

627
00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:18,730
Antarctic is changing is it's a it's an

628
00:26:23,940 --> 00:26:21,330
interesting topic for research right now

629
00:26:27,030 --> 00:26:23,950
by the way we're answering questions

630
00:26:30,030 --> 00:26:27,040
from hashtag ice bridge I have a

631
00:26:33,870 --> 00:26:30,040
question for Ellen water NASA's and your

632
00:26:36,820 --> 00:26:33,880
plans for studying the Earth's climate

633
00:26:38,770 --> 00:26:36,830
you know just this year alone we've we

634
00:26:40,120 --> 00:26:38,780
are launching on five satellites three

635
00:26:42,130 --> 00:26:40,130
of them have already been launched on

636
00:26:44,830 --> 00:26:42,140
the global precipitation mission that's

637
00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:44,840
measuring a precipitation all around the

638
00:26:50,380 --> 00:26:47,090
globe that we joint project we did with

639
00:26:52,660 --> 00:26:50,390
the japanese space agency we've launched

640
00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:52,670
an instrument called rapid scat up to

641
00:26:57,820 --> 00:26:54,410
the International Space Station that's

642
00:26:59,350 --> 00:26:57,830
measuring tropical winds which is

643
00:27:02,050 --> 00:26:59,360
important obviously for studying things

644
00:27:04,270 --> 00:27:02,060
like hurricanes and cyclones on we

645
00:27:07,390 --> 00:27:04,280
launched a mission called the orbiting

646
00:27:09,370 --> 00:27:07,400
carbon Observatory to which is measuring

647
00:27:12,070 --> 00:27:09,380
carbon dioxide concentrations where is

648
00:27:14,350 --> 00:27:12,080
it coming from where is it going uh and

649
00:27:16,150 --> 00:27:14,360
then later this year we are in the next

650
00:27:18,490 --> 00:27:16,160
few months will launch two more missions

651
00:27:21,100 --> 00:27:18,500
one to measure soil moisture all around

652
00:27:22,510 --> 00:27:21,110
the earth that's important for farmers

653
00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:22,520
who want to know about the health of

654
00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:24,290
their crops where the plant crops as

655
00:27:28,120 --> 00:27:25,730
well as trying to understand the water

656
00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:28,130
cycle and we're going to launch another

657
00:27:32,350 --> 00:27:29,810
instrument to the space station called

658
00:27:33,910 --> 00:27:32,360
cats which is a cloud aerosol little

659
00:27:36,430 --> 00:27:33,920
part aerosols or new particles in the

660
00:27:37,900 --> 00:27:36,440
atmosphere that actually um help clouds

661
00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:37,910
to form and they're important for

662
00:27:42,250 --> 00:27:39,410
understanding both weather and climate

663
00:27:43,690 --> 00:27:42,260
and you might say wow she just listed

664
00:27:45,130 --> 00:27:43,700
all these different missions and they're

665
00:27:47,650 --> 00:27:45,140
measuring this and they're measuring

666
00:27:50,230 --> 00:27:47,660
that that's what we do it now so that's

667
00:27:51,970 --> 00:27:50,240
why we have 17 satellites measuring

668
00:27:54,130 --> 00:27:51,980
different aspects of the earth because

669
00:27:55,720 --> 00:27:54,140
it's a very complex climate so if you're

670
00:27:58,300 --> 00:27:55,730
trying to understand the climb that you

671
00:28:00,130 --> 00:27:58,310
need to understand and measure all of

672
00:28:02,380 --> 00:28:00,140
the inputs into the climate which means

673
00:28:04,210 --> 00:28:02,390
what's the state of the oceans what's

674
00:28:06,130 --> 00:28:04,220
the state of the land what's the state

675
00:28:08,050 --> 00:28:06,140
of the atmosphere which is why we need

676
00:28:10,090 --> 00:28:08,060
so many satellites and then we

677
00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:10,100
supplement that with with aircraft like

678
00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:13,010
ice bridge to really try to understand

679
00:28:19,330 --> 00:28:15,530
the complex system um that causes our

680
00:28:21,310 --> 00:28:19,340
climate function for those of you just

681
00:28:24,390 --> 00:28:21,320
joining us you just heard from here

682
00:28:28,540 --> 00:28:24,400
acids chief scientist dr. Ellen stofan

683
00:28:30,850 --> 00:28:28,550
our next question is for Ben would have

684
00:28:35,260 --> 00:28:30,860
been some of ice bridges early

685
00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:35,270
contributions to polar research ice

686
00:28:40,330 --> 00:28:38,210
bridge has contributed a tremendous

687
00:28:43,660 --> 00:28:40,340
number of measurements of ice thickness

688
00:28:45,700 --> 00:28:43,670
to databases that people have furnished

689
00:28:46,370 --> 00:28:45,710
arctica in Greenland there's been a new

690
00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:46,380
map

691
00:28:51,500 --> 00:28:48,810
of Antarctic bottom Heights that's come

692
00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:51,510
out in the last year last two years that

693
00:28:55,070 --> 00:28:53,610
has really done a great job of showing

694
00:28:57,590 --> 00:28:55,080
some details of the continent that we

695
00:28:59,150 --> 00:28:57,600
didn't have before the same thing for

696
00:29:02,090 --> 00:28:59,160
Greenland people have discovered a

697
00:29:04,390 --> 00:29:02,100
canyon I can't even remember how it

698
00:29:06,860 --> 00:29:04,400
compares to the Grand Canyon it's bigger

699
00:29:09,110 --> 00:29:06,870
yeah under the Greenland ice sheet that

700
00:29:11,420 --> 00:29:09,120
was not evident before we had ice bridge

701
00:29:13,670 --> 00:29:11,430
measurements it's also done a good job

702
00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:13,680
of showing us the changes that are

703
00:29:17,390 --> 00:29:15,210
happening both in Antarctica and

704
00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:17,400
Greenland and so there have been some

705
00:29:22,730 --> 00:29:20,130
major studies reconciling measurements

706
00:29:25,220 --> 00:29:22,740
between a Antarctica in Greenland of

707
00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:25,230
elevation change and showing that they

708
00:29:29,930 --> 00:29:28,650
agree with other sensors that we have so

709
00:29:32,150 --> 00:29:29,940
they've really firmed up our

710
00:29:36,890 --> 00:29:32,160
understanding of how the ice sheet is

711
00:29:44,820 --> 00:29:36,900
changing and you know just what is going

712
00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:48,340
this one is for Ellen what advice do you

713
00:29:52,810 --> 00:29:50,450
have for someone who would like to be

714
00:29:54,730 --> 00:29:52,820
involved with a mission like this this

715
00:29:58,989 --> 00:29:54,740
is NASA's chief scientist dr. Ellen

716
00:30:00,489 --> 00:29:58,999
stofan you know it's fun to me to see

717
00:30:02,379 --> 00:30:00,499
yesterday I think this is one of the

718
00:30:04,149 --> 00:30:02,389
things that the ambassador and I really

719
00:30:05,489 --> 00:30:04,159
enjoyed yesterday was meeting all the

720
00:30:08,230 --> 00:30:05,499
different people who are involved in

721
00:30:09,730 --> 00:30:08,240
IceBridge on and of course I have a

722
00:30:11,379 --> 00:30:09,740
fortune that meet all the people who

723
00:30:14,110 --> 00:30:11,389
work on different missions of ours like

724
00:30:16,090 --> 00:30:14,120
our Mars missions or astrophysics

725
00:30:17,950 --> 00:30:16,100
missions it's all kinds of different

726
00:30:19,509 --> 00:30:17,960
people you know we have engineers who

727
00:30:21,279 --> 00:30:19,519
helped build the instruments who help

728
00:30:24,149 --> 00:30:21,289
monitor the instruments and take care of

729
00:30:26,619 --> 00:30:24,159
them uh who maybe majored in engineering

730
00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:26,629
studied engineering studied studied

731
00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:29,330
physics maybe we have scientists who

732
00:30:34,210 --> 00:30:30,850
come from all different backgrounds

733
00:30:36,310 --> 00:30:34,220
geology biology people who study

734
00:30:38,169 --> 00:30:36,320
glaciers people who study chemistry in

735
00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:38,179
the atmosphere how it interacts with the

736
00:30:43,359 --> 00:30:41,450
surface um we have of course the pilots

737
00:30:44,499 --> 00:30:43,369
on the plane whoo-hoo these amazing

738
00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:44,509
pilots who did such a great job

739
00:30:49,299 --> 00:30:47,090
following us around yesterday on we have

740
00:30:52,119 --> 00:30:49,309
people who help us tell our story to the

741
00:30:54,759 --> 00:30:52,129
public um who are just as much a part of

742
00:30:57,039 --> 00:30:54,769
the team as everybody else so it's a

743
00:30:58,539 --> 00:30:57,049
huge range of backgrounds on that helped

744
00:31:00,489 --> 00:30:58,549
NASA accomplish the work that it does

745
00:31:03,310 --> 00:31:00,499
every day and it was it was great honor

746
00:31:05,590 --> 00:31:03,320
to be able to hang out yesterday and if

747
00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:05,600
I might add when dr. Stockman was

748
00:31:09,369 --> 00:31:07,610
talking to Chilean students here in pool

749
00:31:10,869 --> 00:31:09,379
deniz you know they're very interested

750
00:31:13,299 --> 00:31:10,879
they wanted to know how to sign up for

751
00:31:14,799 --> 00:31:13,309
the next mars mission they wanted to

752
00:31:16,659 --> 00:31:14,809
fight figure out you know what it takes

753
00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:16,669
to be an astronaut that's really neat

754
00:31:21,759 --> 00:31:19,730
you know to have NASA's chief scientist

755
00:31:24,549 --> 00:31:21,769
traveling around the world talking to

756
00:31:26,950 --> 00:31:24,559
other kids here in Chile about the

757
00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:26,960
opportunities and the exciting projects

758
00:31:30,460 --> 00:31:28,850
that we have underway one of the things

759
00:31:32,109 --> 00:31:30,470
I say to kids all the time and you know

760
00:31:34,239 --> 00:31:32,119
we've got really tough things we're

761
00:31:36,639 --> 00:31:34,249
trying to accomplish from how do we cope

762
00:31:38,830 --> 00:31:36,649
with the changes being caused by climate

763
00:31:41,039 --> 00:31:38,840
change like sea level rise effects that

764
00:31:43,899 --> 00:31:41,049
we're already seeing around the world um

765
00:31:45,460 --> 00:31:43,909
you know how do we how do we solve the

766
00:31:47,230 --> 00:31:45,470
problems of getting humans down onto the

767
00:31:49,269 --> 00:31:47,240
surface of Mars Mars has a really thin

768
00:31:51,690 --> 00:31:49,279
atmosphere we need all the great minds

769
00:31:53,279 --> 00:31:51,700
in the world from all around the world

770
00:31:54,779 --> 00:31:53,289
is really an international endeavor and

771
00:31:56,990 --> 00:31:54,789
that's why I like to go and be able to

772
00:31:59,879 --> 00:31:57,000
talk to students not just in the US um

773
00:32:01,889 --> 00:31:59,889
but all over the world to try to say hey

774
00:32:06,269 --> 00:32:01,899
you know come on we need help this is an

775
00:32:10,649 --> 00:32:06,279
international endeavor we have a Twitter

776
00:32:14,879 --> 00:32:10,659
question for mr. ambassador Mike Hammer

777
00:32:16,919 --> 00:32:14,889
at vero Clark asks what was the first

778
00:32:21,019 --> 00:32:16,929
thing that came to your mind when you

779
00:32:24,060 --> 00:32:21,029
saw Antarctic soil underneath plane

780
00:32:26,940 --> 00:32:24,070
again it's just truly amazing I mean

781
00:32:28,740 --> 00:32:26,950
you're just it's a long trek even from

782
00:32:30,360 --> 00:32:28,750
here from Punta it not so you're you

783
00:32:32,639 --> 00:32:30,370
know there's great anticipation for two

784
00:32:34,350 --> 00:32:32,649
or three hours and then you see it's

785
00:32:36,659 --> 00:32:34,360
like you're finally here you're seeing

786
00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:36,669
it and it's just tremendous because then

787
00:32:40,769 --> 00:32:39,250
it goes on forever it seems I mean you

788
00:32:42,240 --> 00:32:40,779
don't grasp it up and you see it on a

789
00:32:43,860 --> 00:32:42,250
map and you see that you know

790
00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:43,870
Antarctica's pretty big but when you're

791
00:32:48,690 --> 00:32:45,850
flying for hours and hours and all you

792
00:32:51,149 --> 00:32:48,700
see is a big white sheet of ice it's

793
00:32:53,610 --> 00:32:51,159
really impressive and it just gives you

794
00:32:56,549 --> 00:32:53,620
a much better sort of understanding of

795
00:32:58,110 --> 00:32:56,559
what is out there so again I wish and

796
00:32:59,700 --> 00:32:58,120
again you see it on the images but I

797
00:33:01,649 --> 00:32:59,710
wish everybody could see it because then

798
00:33:03,090 --> 00:33:01,659
you see the natural beauty you see how

799
00:33:04,799 --> 00:33:03,100
important it is to protect our

800
00:33:06,299 --> 00:33:04,809
environment I was struck one of the

801
00:33:08,730 --> 00:33:06,309
things I have to say I was hoping I'd

802
00:33:10,830 --> 00:33:08,740
see a penguin or something but I didn't

803
00:33:13,259 --> 00:33:10,840
know this but NASA takes great care in

804
00:33:15,750 --> 00:33:13,269
these ice bridge missions to not go over

805
00:33:18,450 --> 00:33:15,760
any penguin colonies and in fact not

806
00:33:20,820 --> 00:33:18,460
affect the wildlife in any way so no we

807
00:33:22,470 --> 00:33:20,830
didn't see penguins out there but we

808
00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:22,480
know they're out there but we didn't see

809
00:33:26,159 --> 00:33:24,250
a lot of ice and in fact we can see

810
00:33:28,169 --> 00:33:26,169
penguins down here and put that in us

811
00:33:31,139 --> 00:33:28,179
just off the coasters and a little nice

812
00:33:33,110 --> 00:33:31,149
reserve so again it's really neat to be

813
00:33:35,100 --> 00:33:33,120
able to you know as an American diplomat

814
00:33:36,570 --> 00:33:35,110
experience something like this and it

815
00:33:38,639 --> 00:33:36,580
makes me really proud to be an American

816
00:33:41,519 --> 00:33:38,649
to see that the kind of work that we're

817
00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:41,529
doing we have another Twitter question

818
00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:45,250
this one's for Ben our senior icebridge

819
00:33:50,669 --> 00:33:48,370
researcher at washington seattle

820
00:33:53,460 --> 00:33:50,679
university of washington seattle twitter

821
00:33:56,159 --> 00:33:53,470
question is from at so bell writing are

822
00:33:58,830 --> 00:33:56,169
any of your data sets being shared with

823
00:34:03,210 --> 00:33:58,840
other programs and you have any

824
00:34:04,989 --> 00:34:03,220
conclusions so all of our data sets are

825
00:34:08,289 --> 00:34:04,999
being shared with other

826
00:34:10,419 --> 00:34:08,299
programs you can get them in one form or

827
00:34:13,809 --> 00:34:10,429
another from the National snow nice data

828
00:34:16,749 --> 00:34:13,819
center so IceBridge has a commitment

829
00:34:18,669 --> 00:34:16,759
that six months after any flight all the

830
00:34:20,680 --> 00:34:18,679
data are become available over the

831
00:34:22,690 --> 00:34:20,690
Internet to anybody who wants it and

832
00:34:25,720 --> 00:34:22,700
that's anybody who wants it so if you

833
00:34:27,609 --> 00:34:25,730
want it you can go get it the data sets

834
00:34:30,220 --> 00:34:27,619
some of them are easier to use some of

835
00:34:31,839 --> 00:34:30,230
them are hard to use but they're in

836
00:34:33,609 --> 00:34:31,849
formats that are designed for scientists

837
00:34:35,589 --> 00:34:33,619
who are really interested in all of the

838
00:34:37,089 --> 00:34:35,599
data and for really being able to

839
00:34:43,569 --> 00:34:37,099
squeeze as much as they can out of these

840
00:34:45,669 --> 00:34:43,579
data sets for conclusions um you know we

841
00:34:48,490 --> 00:34:45,679
had a paper earlier this year that was

842
00:34:50,829 --> 00:34:48,500
looking at Thwaites glacier that built a

843
00:34:52,930 --> 00:34:50,839
model of how weights glacier could

844
00:34:55,089 --> 00:34:52,940
evolve over time we've done the same

845
00:34:57,700 --> 00:34:55,099
thing for Pine Island glacier and for

846
00:35:00,460 --> 00:34:57,710
jakub stopping glaciers in Greenland so

847
00:35:01,690 --> 00:35:00,470
we have some papers that combine the

848
00:35:04,779 --> 00:35:01,700
measurements that we've taken with ice

849
00:35:06,759 --> 00:35:04,789
bridge with computer models to try and

850
00:35:08,230 --> 00:35:06,769
really understand what's going on now

851
00:35:10,539 --> 00:35:08,240
and what can happen in the future I

852
00:35:13,839 --> 00:35:10,549
think that this is just barely a start

853
00:35:15,190 --> 00:35:13,849
and it's also just me talking off the

854
00:35:17,259 --> 00:35:15,200
top of my head about the studies that

855
00:35:19,240 --> 00:35:17,269
I'm most aware of there are over a

856
00:35:21,309 --> 00:35:19,250
hundred and forty ice bridge

857
00:35:22,539 --> 00:35:21,319
publications more like 150 ice bridge

858
00:35:25,720 --> 00:35:22,549
publications in the scientific

859
00:35:28,029 --> 00:35:25,730
literature you can find those like I

860
00:35:30,190 --> 00:35:28,039
just did by googling ice bridge

861
00:35:32,529 --> 00:35:30,200
publications and you see this really

862
00:35:34,660 --> 00:35:32,539
long list of papers that people

863
00:35:36,910 --> 00:35:34,670
published using these data so they're

864
00:35:39,690 --> 00:35:36,920
really jump-starting a lot of research

865
00:35:42,999 --> 00:35:39,700
by a lot of different researchers

866
00:35:44,230 --> 00:35:43,009
probably half of it or so is American

867
00:35:46,390 --> 00:35:44,240
research but there's also a lot of

868
00:35:49,029 --> 00:35:46,400
European researchers and Japanese

869
00:35:51,130 --> 00:35:49,039
researchers and others who are who are

870
00:35:53,109 --> 00:35:51,140
using these data so it's the start of

871
00:35:56,349 --> 00:35:53,119
collaborations around the world that

872
00:35:59,799 --> 00:35:56,359
we're making with these datasets for

873
00:36:02,890 --> 00:35:59,809
NASA chief scientist Ellen stofan here

874
00:36:05,609 --> 00:36:02,900
we have a question via Google+ from Max

875
00:36:07,930 --> 00:36:05,619
Blum once we've made necessary

876
00:36:09,910 --> 00:36:07,940
observations to achieve a certain

877
00:36:12,730 --> 00:36:09,920
understanding of the health of the polar

878
00:36:16,900 --> 00:36:12,740
bears and oceans what is humans can we

879
00:36:18,309 --> 00:36:16,910
do to remedy those conditions well I

880
00:36:19,630 --> 00:36:18,319
think the most important thing

881
00:36:21,430 --> 00:36:19,640
for all of us to reduce our carbon

882
00:36:23,079 --> 00:36:21,440
footprint and and you know there are

883
00:36:25,269 --> 00:36:23,089
lots of ways individuals can do this

884
00:36:27,880 --> 00:36:25,279
from you know reusing reducing and

885
00:36:29,319 --> 00:36:27,890
recycling our consumption but clearly

886
00:36:30,939 --> 00:36:29,329
it's going to take more than that it's

887
00:36:32,949 --> 00:36:30,949
going to take a worldwide effort of

888
00:36:35,439 --> 00:36:32,959
people changing their behavior and it's

889
00:36:38,170 --> 00:36:35,449
something it's very hard as humans to do

890
00:36:39,519 --> 00:36:38,180
it's hard for all of us to do but

891
00:36:42,309 --> 00:36:39,529
certainly the president has made clear

892
00:36:45,279 --> 00:36:42,319
that it's a priority that that we need

893
00:36:49,509 --> 00:36:45,289
to start dealing with climate change not

894
00:36:51,189 --> 00:36:49,519
only in in preparing um for the effects

895
00:36:54,130 --> 00:36:51,199
of it because I sea level already is

896
00:36:56,049 --> 00:36:54,140
rising it already is affecting towns for

897
00:36:57,400 --> 00:36:56,059
example in Florida that now have to have

898
00:36:59,829 --> 00:36:57,410
high tide they're having a pump out

899
00:37:01,120 --> 00:36:59,839
streets on a regular basis so climate

900
00:37:03,519 --> 00:37:01,130
change isn't something that's in the

901
00:37:05,859 --> 00:37:03,529
future is happening right now um and so

902
00:37:07,689 --> 00:37:05,869
being able to mitigate the effects that

903
00:37:09,640 --> 00:37:07,699
are already occurring as part of it but

904
00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:09,650
then changing our behavior so that in

905
00:37:13,569 --> 00:37:11,930
the long run we can reduce the amount of

906
00:37:17,979 --> 00:37:13,579
heart a carbon dioxide we're putting

907
00:37:20,469 --> 00:37:17,989
into the atmosphere is critical for Ben

908
00:37:27,219 --> 00:37:20,479
and Ellen what drove you to careers in

909
00:37:28,539 --> 00:37:27,229
science LOL won't take that first um you

910
00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:28,549
know I'm kind of an unusual story

911
00:37:32,380 --> 00:37:30,410
because my father worked for NASA and my

912
00:37:33,849 --> 00:37:32,390
mother is a science teacher so I'm my

913
00:37:36,609 --> 00:37:33,859
sister's a lawyer so it didn't affect

914
00:37:38,620 --> 00:37:36,619
everyone in my family but um you know

915
00:37:39,759 --> 00:37:38,630
for me science was just something always

916
00:37:42,160 --> 00:37:39,769
that I love that was one of those kids

917
00:37:44,199 --> 00:37:42,170
that was picking up every rock and shale

918
00:37:46,390 --> 00:37:44,209
that I could and I always really liked

919
00:37:48,009 --> 00:37:46,400
rocks um these guys can tell you today

920
00:37:51,219 --> 00:37:48,019
we went to a museum and I got to look at

921
00:37:53,229 --> 00:37:51,229
fossils I got really excited um and and

922
00:37:55,239 --> 00:37:53,239
growing up with my father worked working

923
00:37:58,120 --> 00:37:55,249
for NASA I realized I could combine my

924
00:38:00,099 --> 00:37:58,130
love of geology on with space and be

925
00:38:02,140 --> 00:38:00,109
able to study for example I study

926
00:38:06,249 --> 00:38:02,150
volcanoes not just on this planet but on

927
00:38:08,499 --> 00:38:06,259
planets all around our solar system I've

928
00:38:12,489 --> 00:38:08,509
always been interested in science and

929
00:38:15,249 --> 00:38:12,499
technology one of my first memories of a

930
00:38:17,799 --> 00:38:15,259
science project was that at my preschool

931
00:38:18,999 --> 00:38:17,809
we got to take apart a typewriter and it

932
00:38:20,890 --> 00:38:19,009
was something that everybody could do

933
00:38:23,160 --> 00:38:20,900
but I elbowed every single other kid out

934
00:38:27,699 --> 00:38:23,170
of the way so I could do it myself but

935
00:38:29,829 --> 00:38:27,709
all through high school and college I've

936
00:38:32,230 --> 00:38:29,839
been interested in taking science

937
00:38:35,860 --> 00:38:32,240
classes in a lot of different fields

938
00:38:38,500 --> 00:38:35,870
but it was after i graduated from my

939
00:38:40,450 --> 00:38:38,510
undergrad that I got offered a chance to

940
00:38:43,330 --> 00:38:40,460
go to Antarctica if I would do a

941
00:38:45,340 --> 00:38:43,340
master's degree in glaciology and so I

942
00:38:48,700 --> 00:38:45,350
immediately said yes and then thought

943
00:38:51,340 --> 00:38:48,710
gosh what is glaciology but as I learned

944
00:38:52,990 --> 00:38:51,350
more about it the I quickly got hooked

945
00:38:56,730 --> 00:38:53,000
because it's a great branch of science

946
00:38:58,690 --> 00:38:56,740
it's something where you are looking at

947
00:39:00,850 --> 00:38:58,700
changes in the earth that are happening

948
00:39:03,880 --> 00:39:00,860
as you watch and a lot of people who

949
00:39:07,300 --> 00:39:03,890
study you know precambrian fossils who

950
00:39:08,980 --> 00:39:07,310
study the motion of the plates of the

951
00:39:11,440 --> 00:39:08,990
earth can't see the changes happening

952
00:39:13,930 --> 00:39:11,450
but we can watch and see in a year or

953
00:39:16,600 --> 00:39:13,940
two big changes in individual glaciers

954
00:39:19,720 --> 00:39:16,610
and it's really exciting to watch how

955
00:39:22,270 --> 00:39:19,730
that happens for you year so it was

956
00:39:25,240 --> 00:39:22,280
extremely addictive and I haven't I

957
00:39:27,700 --> 00:39:25,250
haven't gotten free of it since we have

958
00:39:30,310 --> 00:39:27,710
another question for you been our senior

959
00:39:33,490 --> 00:39:30,320
IceBridge researcher and this is from

960
00:39:35,860 --> 00:39:33,500
Craig Landon on Twitter how long before

961
00:39:38,530 --> 00:39:35,870
you can gauge the state of the West

962
00:39:42,070 --> 00:39:38,540
Antarctic Ice Sheet will these flights

963
00:39:44,980 --> 00:39:42,080
gather more data so these flights are

964
00:39:47,860 --> 00:39:44,990
expected to continue until I SAT two

965
00:39:50,230 --> 00:39:47,870
launches and then they'll go for a year

966
00:39:52,210 --> 00:39:50,240
too so that we have measurements on the

967
00:39:54,520 --> 00:39:52,220
ground at the same time I step two is

968
00:39:56,260 --> 00:39:54,530
making its measurements so we'll be able

969
00:39:57,880 --> 00:39:56,270
to calibrate the satellite and make sure

970
00:40:00,340 --> 00:39:57,890
we understand what it's telling us and

971
00:40:03,670 --> 00:40:00,350
then we'll have a series of continuing

972
00:40:06,070 --> 00:40:03,680
measurements from I set to off for three

973
00:40:07,900 --> 00:40:06,080
or more years but really we need to

974
00:40:09,610 --> 00:40:07,910
watch these ice sheets on an ongoing

975
00:40:12,580 --> 00:40:09,620
basis because there are a lot of

976
00:40:14,470 --> 00:40:12,590
different things that they could do we

977
00:40:16,300 --> 00:40:14,480
have a picture we have snapshots in time

978
00:40:19,360 --> 00:40:16,310
of what the ice sheets are doing right

979
00:40:20,740 --> 00:40:19,370
now we have models that can try to

980
00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:20,750
predict what they're going to do in the

981
00:40:24,910 --> 00:40:22,010
future but one thing that we've learned

982
00:40:26,710 --> 00:40:24,920
is that there are always surprises if

983
00:40:28,660 --> 00:40:26,720
you think that you can predict what the

984
00:40:29,980 --> 00:40:28,670
I she is going to do you often turn out

985
00:40:32,830 --> 00:40:29,990
to be wrong if you wait a couple of

986
00:40:35,140 --> 00:40:32,840
years so it's going to be an ongoing

987
00:40:37,390 --> 00:40:35,150
effort to keep an eye on what these I

988
00:40:39,310 --> 00:40:37,400
sheets are doing and make sure that we

989
00:40:44,530 --> 00:40:39,320
know what this that's going to meet for

990
00:40:45,880 --> 00:40:44,540
for human life now Ellen are NASA's

991
00:40:48,070 --> 00:40:45,890
chief scientist could

992
00:40:53,380 --> 00:40:48,080
tell us a little bit more about i SAT

993
00:40:54,940 --> 00:40:53,390
too well you know it's really exciting

994
00:40:56,920 --> 00:40:54,950
because again obviously being able to

995
00:40:59,100 --> 00:40:56,930
have that global view as opposed to the

996
00:41:01,390 --> 00:40:59,110
ice bridges doing a great job but we're

997
00:41:02,830 --> 00:41:01,400
under the force of the weather so on

998
00:41:05,740 --> 00:41:02,840
days where the weather's bad we actually

999
00:41:07,330 --> 00:41:05,750
can't can't go ahead and fly because we

1000
00:41:10,570 --> 00:41:07,340
need clear weather for our laser

1001
00:41:12,400 --> 00:41:10,580
altimeter to be working on and so while

1002
00:41:14,310 --> 00:41:12,410
the data were gathering is extremely

1003
00:41:17,290 --> 00:41:14,320
important and it does bridge this gap

1004
00:41:19,540 --> 00:41:17,300
being able to have a satellite up in

1005
00:41:22,840 --> 00:41:19,550
permanent orbit being able to take data

1006
00:41:25,330 --> 00:41:22,850
add in both the Arctic and the Antarctic

1007
00:41:28,450 --> 00:41:25,340
all the time is critically important and

1008
00:41:31,540 --> 00:41:28,460
so we're in the process of building the

1009
00:41:32,830 --> 00:41:31,550
instruments on on for i sat to those

1010
00:41:35,590 --> 00:41:32,840
instruments will be highly capable

1011
00:41:38,110 --> 00:41:35,600
making many of the same intruments that

1012
00:41:40,870 --> 00:41:38,120
our ice bridge is making but again now

1013
00:41:43,120 --> 00:41:40,880
doing it on a much more regular basis as

1014
00:41:46,480 --> 00:41:43,130
Ben said it's really critical to monitor

1015
00:41:48,910 --> 00:41:46,490
this behavior launch month um year to

1016
00:41:50,230 --> 00:41:48,920
year and so getting that satellite up

1017
00:41:54,010 --> 00:41:50,240
there is something totally looking

1018
00:41:58,360 --> 00:41:54,020
forward to and 2017 we have another

1019
00:42:01,480 --> 00:41:58,370
question for Ben from our nasya bia

1020
00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:01,490
twitter what is the importance of ice

1021
00:42:07,300 --> 00:42:03,890
shelves and their buttressing effect in

1022
00:42:11,170 --> 00:42:07,310
tributary glaciers wow that's a good

1023
00:42:13,240 --> 00:42:11,180
question so ice shelves are where you

1024
00:42:15,940 --> 00:42:13,250
have a glacier that flows out onto the

1025
00:42:17,890 --> 00:42:15,950
ocean so if you can imagine a glacier

1026
00:42:20,650 --> 00:42:17,900
flowing downhill until it gets to the

1027
00:42:23,110 --> 00:42:20,660
coast when it gets to the coast it ice

1028
00:42:26,290 --> 00:42:23,120
floats so it will sometimes flow out

1029
00:42:28,210 --> 00:42:26,300
onto the ocean and make a big flat area

1030
00:42:30,430 --> 00:42:28,220
of ice with water underneath it and if

1031
00:42:33,010 --> 00:42:30,440
you look at these animations often it's

1032
00:42:35,410 --> 00:42:33,020
hard to tell from the animation where

1033
00:42:38,710 --> 00:42:35,420
the ice shelf is ah there we go so you

1034
00:42:40,630 --> 00:42:38,720
see that dark line the everything on the

1035
00:42:46,270 --> 00:42:40,640
ocean side of that dark line is floating

1036
00:42:48,160 --> 00:42:46,280
and that ice is plays an important role

1037
00:42:51,250 --> 00:42:48,170
in deciding how fast the glaciers

1038
00:42:52,960 --> 00:42:51,260
upstream flow because for ice to flow

1039
00:42:54,520 --> 00:42:52,970
off the glacier on to the ocean some of

1040
00:42:57,730 --> 00:42:54,530
the ice shelf ice has to get out of the

1041
00:42:59,320 --> 00:42:57,740
way now if the ice shelf gets thinner or

1042
00:43:01,120 --> 00:42:59,330
if it breaks up then it's

1043
00:43:04,230 --> 00:43:01,130
much easier for ice to flow off the

1044
00:43:06,550 --> 00:43:04,240
continent onto the ice shelf and that's

1045
00:43:09,010 --> 00:43:06,560
probably one of the reasons why the

1046
00:43:11,920 --> 00:43:09,020
glaciers have been flowing faster over

1047
00:43:13,990 --> 00:43:11,930
time because the ice shelves have gotten

1048
00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:14,000
out of the way and the ice sheet has an

1049
00:43:17,050 --> 00:43:15,770
easier time with lita the ice has an

1050
00:43:18,910 --> 00:43:17,060
easier time of leading the ice sheet

1051
00:43:20,800 --> 00:43:18,920
into the ocean so that's what we call

1052
00:43:22,330 --> 00:43:20,810
buttressing when the ice shelves are

1053
00:43:24,880 --> 00:43:22,340
preventing ice from flowing utterly

1054
00:43:27,040 --> 00:43:24,890
glaciers into the ocean and so we're

1055
00:43:28,510 --> 00:43:27,050
keeping a good eye on the ice shelves to

1056
00:43:34,560 --> 00:43:28,520
try and see how that might change over

1057
00:43:37,810 --> 00:43:34,570
time now I have a question for

1058
00:43:40,780 --> 00:43:37,820
ambassador hammer of how did you get

1059
00:43:43,900 --> 00:43:40,790
interested in your position well I

1060
00:43:46,540 --> 00:43:43,910
actually grew up overseas with my

1061
00:43:49,330 --> 00:43:46,550
parents in Latin America and I really

1062
00:43:51,610 --> 00:43:49,340
enjoyed living abroad in learning about

1063
00:43:54,490 --> 00:43:51,620
other cultures learning languages like

1064
00:43:56,620 --> 00:43:54,500
Spanish my mother is from Spain and I

1065
00:43:59,590 --> 00:43:56,630
want to serve the country and I thought

1066
00:44:02,410 --> 00:43:59,600
that'd be really neat to be working at

1067
00:44:05,140 --> 00:44:02,420
our embassies and serving in that way

1068
00:44:06,700 --> 00:44:05,150
and so I went to Georgetown and we have

1069
00:44:08,560 --> 00:44:06,710
programmed international affairs and

1070
00:44:10,180 --> 00:44:08,570
then I went to graduate school and then

1071
00:44:12,370 --> 00:44:10,190
I was lucky i took the foreign service

1072
00:44:14,920 --> 00:44:12,380
exam and let me in and i encourage

1073
00:44:16,990 --> 00:44:14,930
anybody who wants to join the Foreign

1074
00:44:18,700 --> 00:44:17,000
Service to at least take the exam and

1075
00:44:21,190 --> 00:44:18,710
see if perhaps they might offer you a

1076
00:44:23,620 --> 00:44:21,200
job it's really exciting you get to

1077
00:44:25,060 --> 00:44:23,630
travel around the world meet really

1078
00:44:27,340 --> 00:44:25,070
interesting people yes you get a bit

1079
00:44:30,460 --> 00:44:27,350
homesick at times but now through all

1080
00:44:33,760 --> 00:44:30,470
these digital platforms whether it's now

1081
00:44:37,480 --> 00:44:33,770
snapchat FaceTime whatever else you can

1082
00:44:39,580 --> 00:44:37,490
connect with folks back home but it

1083
00:44:42,700 --> 00:44:39,590
really is something that's very special

1084
00:44:45,880 --> 00:44:42,710
in terms of what we're able to do to

1085
00:44:48,610 --> 00:44:45,890
explain America to people around the

1086
00:44:50,260 --> 00:44:48,620
world and frankly I think you know we

1087
00:44:51,990 --> 00:44:50,270
want to see more students American

1088
00:44:54,490 --> 00:44:52,000
students studying abroad as well

1089
00:44:56,410 --> 00:44:54,500
President Obama launched the program is

1090
00:44:58,290 --> 00:44:56,420
called a hundred thousand strong in the

1091
00:45:01,390 --> 00:44:58,300
Americas where he's trying to encourage

1092
00:45:03,460 --> 00:45:01,400
Americans a hundred thousand to go into

1093
00:45:05,890 --> 00:45:03,470
Latin American Caribbean and study and

1094
00:45:08,080 --> 00:45:05,900
also Latin Americans to come to American

1095
00:45:10,660 --> 00:45:08,090
universities because it's those personal

1096
00:45:12,940 --> 00:45:10,670
people-to-people exchanges that promote

1097
00:45:14,859 --> 00:45:12,950
better relationships and so

1098
00:45:16,870 --> 00:45:14,869
in a way when we travel abroad

1099
00:45:19,150 --> 00:45:16,880
everybody's a bit of an ambassador

1100
00:45:20,589 --> 00:45:19,160
representing the country and that's what

1101
00:45:22,420 --> 00:45:20,599
you want to see you want to see a

1102
00:45:25,450 --> 00:45:22,430
promotion of good relations between

1103
00:45:27,579 --> 00:45:25,460
people I very much enjoy it it's a real

1104
00:45:29,530 --> 00:45:27,589
honor to be representing the president

1105
00:45:31,030 --> 00:45:29,540
American people here in Chile it's a

1106
00:45:33,130 --> 00:45:31,040
fantastic place and look at the

1107
00:45:34,990 --> 00:45:33,140
incredible things I get to do go in an

1108
00:45:37,359 --> 00:45:35,000
ice bridge mission before refine

1109
00:45:39,400 --> 00:45:37,369
antartica going to grade the lectures

1110
00:45:41,710 --> 00:45:39,410
with dr. Stoffa and meeting kids who are

1111
00:45:43,660 --> 00:45:41,720
really excited about the prospects of

1112
00:45:45,220 --> 00:45:43,670
science and then working with my

1113
00:45:46,630 --> 00:45:45,230
colleagues here we are in an American

1114
00:45:48,970 --> 00:45:46,640
corner point i dinna so we have our

1115
00:45:50,980 --> 00:45:48,980
Chilean friends who are running this at

1116
00:45:52,650 --> 00:45:50,990
the University of my eye on is and again

1117
00:45:55,120 --> 00:45:52,660
we're connecting with people and

1118
00:45:56,770 --> 00:45:55,130
ultimately we're doing what we can to

1119
00:45:58,510 --> 00:45:56,780
make the world a better place as we

1120
00:46:02,349 --> 00:45:58,520
promote America's interests around the

1121
00:46:04,810 --> 00:46:02,359
globe we have another question for

1122
00:46:09,849 --> 00:46:04,820
NASA's chief scientist dr. Ellen stofan

1123
00:46:13,150 --> 00:46:09,859
from Roberto Flores on Twitter yes can

1124
00:46:18,220 --> 00:46:13,160
NASA detect gold precious metals and

1125
00:46:19,930 --> 00:46:18,230
gems under elf ice shelves no we really

1126
00:46:22,349 --> 00:46:19,940
don't have the ability to do that

1127
00:46:25,750 --> 00:46:22,359
because underneath the ice ice shelf is

1128
00:46:28,000 --> 00:46:25,760
water and and any kind of minerals or

1129
00:46:31,300 --> 00:46:28,010
gems would be at the bottom of the ocean

1130
00:46:33,520 --> 00:46:31,310
and and right now from space most of our

1131
00:46:35,859 --> 00:46:33,530
techniques like radars that get us

1132
00:46:38,770 --> 00:46:35,869
through the ice shelf which is what

1133
00:46:40,510 --> 00:46:38,780
we're using on ice bridge to get as been

1134
00:46:42,579 --> 00:46:40,520
talked about to get that on thickness

1135
00:46:45,760 --> 00:46:42,589
and look at the layering in ice shelves

1136
00:46:47,730 --> 00:46:45,770
or ice sheets on that radar that sees

1137
00:46:51,069 --> 00:46:47,740
through when the radar gets to water um

1138
00:46:53,530 --> 00:46:51,079
it just scatters away and so that you

1139
00:46:56,500 --> 00:46:53,540
can actually penetrate down we use

1140
00:46:58,900 --> 00:46:56,510
different instruments on in different

1141
00:47:01,630 --> 00:46:58,910
parts of the electromagnetic spectrum to

1142
00:47:04,000 --> 00:47:01,640
look on land for different compositions

1143
00:47:05,500 --> 00:47:04,010
um that's hard to do when there's a lot

1144
00:47:07,180 --> 00:47:05,510
of vegetation in the way that's why I

1145
00:47:10,450 --> 00:47:07,190
like looking at planetary surfaces like

1146
00:47:11,980 --> 00:47:10,460
Mars or Venus where there's not all

1147
00:47:13,450 --> 00:47:11,990
these trees and plants all over the

1148
00:47:15,309 --> 00:47:13,460
place that get in the way of looking at

1149
00:47:17,530 --> 00:47:15,319
the rocks the way a geologist wants to

1150
00:47:19,960 --> 00:47:17,540
do um so looking at those compositions

1151
00:47:25,900 --> 00:47:19,970
we can do in some areas but always just

1152
00:47:27,970 --> 00:47:25,910
on land we have another question for Ben

1153
00:47:32,470 --> 00:47:27,980
what are the different types of ice that

1154
00:47:35,940 --> 00:47:32,480
IceBridge looks at so there are two main

1155
00:47:38,680 --> 00:47:35,950
types of ice that we look at there's a

1156
00:47:40,839 --> 00:47:38,690
ice in the ice sheets and ice shelves

1157
00:47:43,450 --> 00:47:40,849
which is ice that's fallen from the sky

1158
00:47:45,309 --> 00:47:43,460
as snow and then over the years gotten

1159
00:47:48,099 --> 00:47:45,319
squished by its own weight until it

1160
00:47:51,099 --> 00:47:48,109
turns into ice but that was snow and now

1161
00:47:54,339 --> 00:47:51,109
it's now ice and they're sea ice which

1162
00:47:56,890 --> 00:47:54,349
is either frozen ocean water or snow

1163
00:47:59,950 --> 00:47:56,900
that's fallen on top of frozen ocean

1164
00:48:02,319 --> 00:47:59,960
water and turn to ice they're quite

1165
00:48:05,589 --> 00:48:02,329
different in a lot of ways sea ice is

1166
00:48:10,329 --> 00:48:05,599
usually much thinner so thick sea ice

1167
00:48:12,670 --> 00:48:10,339
might be 20 feet thick I and we would

1168
00:48:16,720 --> 00:48:12,680
see that guys like that in the Arctic

1169
00:48:19,510 --> 00:48:16,730
primarily whereas ice sheet in ice shelf

1170
00:48:21,579 --> 00:48:19,520
ice sheet ice and ice shelf ice can be

1171
00:48:25,420 --> 00:48:21,589
more than two kilometers more than three

1172
00:48:27,579 --> 00:48:25,430
kilometers that can some cases so um the

1173
00:48:30,309 --> 00:48:27,589
other big difference is that ice sheet

1174
00:48:33,370 --> 00:48:30,319
and ice shelf ice is very fresh so

1175
00:48:34,900 --> 00:48:33,380
there's not a lot of salt in it in fact

1176
00:48:38,410 --> 00:48:34,910
it's some of the cleanest water you're

1177
00:48:42,069 --> 00:48:38,420
likely to find so radar travels through

1178
00:48:44,079 --> 00:48:42,079
it very nicely whereas with sea ice that

1179
00:48:48,039 --> 00:48:44,089
can be almost completely opaque to raid

1180
00:48:49,809 --> 00:48:48,049
our energy so in some cases we send down

1181
00:48:51,309 --> 00:48:49,819
a pulse of radar energy it doesn't make

1182
00:48:52,690 --> 00:48:51,319
it all the way to the bottom of the sea

1183
00:48:55,089 --> 00:48:52,700
ice even though it can make it all the

1184
00:48:58,480 --> 00:48:55,099
way down to kilometers into the ice

1185
00:49:01,180 --> 00:48:58,490
sheet so those those are the main types

1186
00:49:04,029 --> 00:49:01,190
that we see so you're you're just

1187
00:49:05,980 --> 00:49:04,039
hearing from Ben Smith these are senior

1188
00:49:08,740 --> 00:49:05,990
icebridge researcher we have another

1189
00:49:11,170 --> 00:49:08,750
question for you been about the flights

1190
00:49:13,359 --> 00:49:11,180
from Twitter since it's at the bottom of

1191
00:49:16,900 --> 00:49:13,369
the world how do you know which side of

1192
00:49:19,269 --> 00:49:16,910
Antarctica is the west side ah well

1193
00:49:22,569 --> 00:49:19,279
there's a there are two ways that we

1194
00:49:25,059 --> 00:49:22,579
call that two reasons we call that the

1195
00:49:27,670 --> 00:49:25,069
West Antarctica first of all it's in the

1196
00:49:30,430 --> 00:49:27,680
Western Hemisphere so if you draw the

1197
00:49:32,529 --> 00:49:30,440
line for the hemisphere all the way

1198
00:49:34,710 --> 00:49:32,539
around the pole it pretty much splits

1199
00:49:36,910 --> 00:49:34,720
West Antarctica from East Antarctica

1200
00:49:38,950 --> 00:49:36,920
there's also that there's kind of a

1201
00:49:39,610 --> 00:49:38,960
standard map do you make of Antarctica

1202
00:49:42,310 --> 00:49:39,620
just like

1203
00:49:44,440 --> 00:49:42,320
is showing on my screen right now and in

1204
00:49:46,240 --> 00:49:44,450
that map West Antarctica is on the west

1205
00:49:48,490 --> 00:49:46,250
you know the left side of the map which

1206
00:49:50,890 --> 00:49:48,500
corresponds to the west side when you

1207
00:49:53,110 --> 00:49:50,900
looking at Northern Hemisphere map so

1208
00:49:55,060 --> 00:49:53,120
and the dividing line between West

1209
00:49:57,100 --> 00:49:55,070
Antarctica and East Antarctica is the

1210
00:50:00,250 --> 00:49:57,110
Transantarctic mountains you can see

1211
00:50:02,200 --> 00:50:00,260
those coming up from the bottom of the

1212
00:50:04,270 --> 00:50:02,210
screen to the middle of the ice sheet

1213
00:50:05,830 --> 00:50:04,280
they continue under the ice sheet all

1214
00:50:08,980 --> 00:50:05,840
the way up and become the Antarctic

1215
00:50:10,720 --> 00:50:08,990
Peninsula so that's a major geologic

1216
00:50:15,070 --> 00:50:10,730
division between West Antarctica and

1217
00:50:19,330 --> 00:50:15,080
East Antarctica thank you we have a

1218
00:50:21,940 --> 00:50:19,340
question for mr. ambassador hammer what

1219
00:50:25,870 --> 00:50:21,950
is the position of the US on protecting

1220
00:50:28,120 --> 00:50:25,880
the glaciers well we certainly there's

1221
00:50:30,520 --> 00:50:28,130
an antarctic treaty that were a party to

1222
00:50:32,610 --> 00:50:30,530
and where we work with with other

1223
00:50:36,580 --> 00:50:32,620
countries in terms of trying to preserve

1224
00:50:38,620 --> 00:50:36,590
the purity and the nature of antarctica

1225
00:50:40,240 --> 00:50:38,630
a while at the same time we're doing

1226
00:50:43,030 --> 00:50:40,250
research so there are certain protocols

1227
00:50:44,350 --> 00:50:43,040
that of course nasa abides by that i

1228
00:50:46,180 --> 00:50:44,360
will do in terms of international

1229
00:50:49,390 --> 00:50:46,190
cooperation we don't recognize any

1230
00:50:51,640 --> 00:50:49,400
claims over sovereignty of parts of

1231
00:50:54,160 --> 00:50:51,650
Antarctica but we see it as a way that

1232
00:50:56,590 --> 00:50:54,170
again the international community can do

1233
00:50:59,140 --> 00:50:56,600
research that allows us to learn about

1234
00:51:01,930 --> 00:50:59,150
you know the issues like climate change

1235
00:51:04,570 --> 00:51:01,940
so in essence we want to do everything

1236
00:51:07,090 --> 00:51:04,580
that we can to preserve it as it is but

1237
00:51:08,440 --> 00:51:07,100
to learn from it as it is I don't know

1238
00:51:11,530 --> 00:51:08,450
if the doctor stolen has anything

1239
00:51:13,210 --> 00:51:11,540
further on that no and certainly on the

1240
00:51:15,190 --> 00:51:13,220
president's extremely concerned about

1241
00:51:16,540 --> 00:51:15,200
climate change and he's been doing a

1242
00:51:18,210 --> 00:51:16,550
number of things he just did the most

1243
00:51:20,590 --> 00:51:18,220
recent climate summit at the UN

1244
00:51:24,040 --> 00:51:20,600
announced five different initiatives um

1245
00:51:25,570 --> 00:51:24,050
to try to to mitigate the effects of

1246
00:51:27,460 --> 00:51:25,580
climate change try to deal with climate

1247
00:51:31,390 --> 00:51:27,470
change it's been a big priority and it

1248
00:51:35,920 --> 00:51:31,400
continues to be we have another question

1249
00:51:39,250 --> 00:51:35,930
for Ben Smith is ice bridge daytime only

1250
00:51:42,580 --> 00:51:39,260
flights or do you get to see Aurora how

1251
00:51:44,860 --> 00:51:42,590
often do ever occur well I have to admit

1252
00:51:49,810 --> 00:51:44,870
that I've never been on an ice bridge

1253
00:51:52,090 --> 00:51:49,820
flight but i was there in Greenland this

1254
00:51:53,650 --> 00:51:52,100
spring where the in the

1255
00:51:56,530 --> 00:51:53,660
pound for the ice bridge plane was base

1256
00:51:59,170 --> 00:51:56,540
and kangaroo swak and I know that they

1257
00:52:00,760 --> 00:51:59,180
did see Aurora the day before I got

1258
00:52:03,250 --> 00:52:00,770
there so I didn't get to see it myself

1259
00:52:06,460 --> 00:52:03,260
and then over the next couple of days

1260
00:52:09,130 --> 00:52:06,470
the days got long enough so that the Sun

1261
00:52:14,170 --> 00:52:09,140
wasn't really setting anymore and at

1262
00:52:15,820 --> 00:52:14,180
that point there was no Aurora so the

1263
00:52:17,560 --> 00:52:15,830
ice bridge starts pretty early in the

1264
00:52:19,930 --> 00:52:17,570
spring and so they must have a chance to

1265
00:52:22,090 --> 00:52:19,940
see the Aurora some of the time but a

1266
00:52:23,680 --> 00:52:22,100
lot of time when I spray just flying the

1267
00:52:25,090 --> 00:52:23,690
Sun is up all day long and all night

1268
00:52:33,340 --> 00:52:25,100
long and they probably don't see a whole

1269
00:52:36,670 --> 00:52:33,350
lot now I have a question for both

1270
00:52:38,170 --> 00:52:36,680
ambassador hammer and dr. Ellen Stefan

1271
00:52:40,800 --> 00:52:38,180
who had the privilege of going on the

1272
00:52:43,210 --> 00:52:40,810
flights how cold were the flights Oh

1273
00:52:44,740 --> 00:52:43,220
their chili all right it's a big

1274
00:52:46,360 --> 00:52:44,750
mountain a little bit warmer your feet

1275
00:52:47,770 --> 00:52:46,370
tend to get a little bit cold but they

1276
00:52:49,270 --> 00:52:47,780
try to make it pretty comfortable and

1277
00:52:51,070 --> 00:52:49,280
there's tons of coffee so you're

1278
00:52:53,620 --> 00:52:51,080
drinking a lot of coffee give me your

1279
00:52:55,360 --> 00:52:53,630
warm so anything you know I didn't think

1280
00:52:56,560 --> 00:52:55,370
it was that bad no it really wasn't that

1281
00:52:59,680 --> 00:52:56,570
bad i must say i had brought some

1282
00:53:01,450 --> 00:52:59,690
mittens along i had an extra jacket if

1283
00:53:03,280 --> 00:53:01,460
you know so I was prepared for it to be

1284
00:53:04,960 --> 00:53:03,290
even colder than it was but cheer up

1285
00:53:07,360 --> 00:53:04,970
moving around the flight was very smooth

1286
00:53:09,060 --> 00:53:07,370
so seatbelt sign wasn't on most of the

1287
00:53:12,010 --> 00:53:09,070
flooded so you could wander around and

1288
00:53:14,050 --> 00:53:12,020
talk to people and as the ambassador's

1289
00:53:15,760 --> 00:53:14,060
then drink a lot of coffee one neat

1290
00:53:17,350 --> 00:53:15,770
thing that we did do is that we did go

1291
00:53:19,330 --> 00:53:17,360
into the belly of the plane it gets they

1292
00:53:22,060 --> 00:53:19,340
call it a pic and we saw how to have

1293
00:53:24,940 --> 00:53:22,070
this laser array and it's really

1294
00:53:28,900 --> 00:53:24,950
incredible to see and there and there it

1295
00:53:30,670 --> 00:53:28,910
was actually rather chilly but you can

1296
00:53:32,710 --> 00:53:30,680
see from the video there are people in

1297
00:53:33,910 --> 00:53:32,720
shirtsleeves some on the airplane some

1298
00:53:35,950 --> 00:53:33,920
people are a little tougher than others

1299
00:53:38,140 --> 00:53:35,960
I I pretty much kept to my multiple

1300
00:53:41,100 --> 00:53:38,150
sweaters on all day um but it wasn't as

1301
00:53:44,200 --> 00:53:41,110
bad as I thought it was going to be

1302
00:53:47,050 --> 00:53:44,210
alright so we only have a couple minutes

1303
00:53:50,530 --> 00:53:47,060
left so I would like to say me vote ask

1304
00:53:53,890 --> 00:53:50,540
Ellen what's next or I study for NASA

1305
00:53:55,180 --> 00:53:53,900
right well certainly we're looking

1306
00:53:57,550 --> 00:53:55,190
forward to the rest of the ice bridge

1307
00:54:00,100 --> 00:53:57,560
season we have a lot of tracks left that

1308
00:54:01,300 --> 00:54:00,110
we want to fly again today very exciting

1309
00:54:02,620 --> 00:54:01,310
they're flying over pi 9

1310
00:54:04,390 --> 00:54:02,630
yeah sure which we've been talking about

1311
00:54:06,670 --> 00:54:04,400
a fair amount today we have a lot of

1312
00:54:08,470 --> 00:54:06,680
tracks left that um you know fingers

1313
00:54:10,810 --> 00:54:08,480
crossed the weather over Antarctica will

1314
00:54:12,430 --> 00:54:10,820
stay clear um a lot in the in the coming

1315
00:54:15,400 --> 00:54:12,440
weeks and we'll be able to accomplish

1316
00:54:18,010 --> 00:54:15,410
those white lines on right now has been

1317
00:54:21,280 --> 00:54:18,020
mentioned we have ice we have ice bridge

1318
00:54:24,040 --> 00:54:21,290
um flights planned on through at least

1319
00:54:25,540 --> 00:54:24,050
20 18 and that again is going to be

1320
00:54:29,320 --> 00:54:25,550
critically important to bridge this gap

1321
00:54:32,230 --> 00:54:29,330
um until we get I set 02 up and running

1322
00:54:36,580 --> 00:54:32,240
it and so certainly for NASA continuing

1323
00:54:38,560 --> 00:54:36,590
to assess the state of health of the ice

1324
00:54:40,510 --> 00:54:38,570
in Antarctica the ice in the Arctic is

1325
00:54:43,030 --> 00:54:40,520
is something that's a high priority we

1326
00:54:44,830 --> 00:54:43,040
will continue to do because I think one

1327
00:54:46,750 --> 00:54:44,840
of the things that people don't realize

1328
00:54:48,370 --> 00:54:46,760
when when they think about the

1329
00:54:50,590 --> 00:54:48,380
measurements we make is how important

1330
00:54:52,660 --> 00:54:50,600
that continuity of data sets is you know

1331
00:54:54,250 --> 00:54:52,670
you can make a measurement this year but

1332
00:54:56,230 --> 00:54:54,260
if you don't know what what the answer

1333
00:54:58,270 --> 00:54:56,240
or what it was like five years ago 10

1334
00:55:00,430 --> 00:54:58,280
years ago 20 years ago it's a lot harder

1335
00:55:01,990 --> 00:55:00,440
to understand what might happen in the

1336
00:55:04,300 --> 00:55:02,000
future so the fact that we've been

1337
00:55:06,520 --> 00:55:04,310
making ice bridge measurements for so

1338
00:55:08,740 --> 00:55:06,530
long now we have i SAT before that gives

1339
00:55:12,510 --> 00:55:08,750
us these long-term data sets so it's so

1340
00:55:16,660 --> 00:55:12,520
important to continue those out future

1341
00:55:19,030 --> 00:55:16,670
well thank you so much mr. ambassador

1342
00:55:23,170 --> 00:55:19,040
Michael hammer our US ambassador to

1343
00:55:25,450 --> 00:55:23,180
Chile and dr. Ellen stofan NASA's chief

1344
00:55:28,750 --> 00:55:25,460
scientists both calling in from chilly

1345
00:55:31,320 --> 00:55:28,760
Cuban and thank you Ben Smith our senior

1346
00:55:35,310 --> 00:55:31,330
I screwed researcher calling in from

1347
00:55:37,420 --> 00:55:35,320
University of Washington then a real pro

1348
00:55:40,510 --> 00:55:37,430
doing a real privilege and pleasure

1349
00:55:43,840 --> 00:55:40,520
having you here thanks everyone for

1350
00:55:46,900 --> 00:55:43,850
coming out and for checking out this

1351
00:55:49,090 --> 00:55:46,910
google hangout will be saved forever on