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Thu 17 Jul 2025
Mont Blanc Glacier in Chamonix, France – Airbus DS
Glacier monitoring using satellites is helping scientists to track ice melt and launch early warning systems to prevent climate-related disasters.
Formed from snow that has accumulated on land over centuries, glaciers store around 70% of the planet’s fresh water.
Their high reflectivity has a regulating effect on the climate as they reflect the Sun’s rays back into space, reducing the absorption of solar energy on the Earth’s surface.
Climate change and rising temperatures are causing glaciers to melt at an alarming rate, the consequences of which scientists have warned us about for some time.
A study published in February 2025 in Nature reported that between 2000 and 2023 the world’s mountain glaciers on average lost 6,542 billion tonnes of ice. This glacier ice loss has directly contributed approximately 1.9cm to global sea‑level rise.
Based on data gathered by satellites – some of which has been developed by Airbus – the study revealed that, since 2000, the Earth’s 275,000 mountain glaciers have contributed more to rising sea levels than Greenland and Antarctica.
This melting of glaciers and polar ice caps results in warming ocean temperatures and also disrupts ocean currents, affecting wildlife and local climates.
Heïdi Sevestre, a glaciologist who works with the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, said: “This shows that, among the elements of the cryosphere – frozen parts of the Earth – mountain glaciers are among those that react the quickest to climate change.”
Blatten’s glacier collapse in Switzerland – Pléiades Neo – Airbus DS 2025
Another consequence of glacier melt and permafrost thaw is the increased risk of natural disasters, including landslides.
Using satellite imagery and ground sensors, scientists are able to launch early warning systems to prevent such disasters.
They provide additional data with a global or regional view, even in remote and inaccessible areas.
According to Sevestre, the regularity of data over several years makes it possible to measure changes, analyse the reaction of glaciers and develop prediction models.
San Quintín Glacier in Chile – Airbus DS
The altimeter-equipped CryoSat-2 satellite is also capable of measuring changes in ice thickness and volume.
Two other Airbus-built satellites – Sentinel-1 and TerraSAR-X – include a synthetic aperture radar that measures a glacier’s movements and flow velocities. The Sentinel-2 satellite includes a multispectral imager that is able to track snow distribution and melting rates, providing insight into snow dynamics over time.
Sevestre said: “Satellites are an extraordinary ally for studying glaciers where we would never set foot, or at least not without prior information.
“Matthieu Tordeur and I worked with the Airbus teams, which provided us with satellite images that were essential for preparing our expedition and finding our way around. The very high-resolution images enabled us to map crevasses, helping us to stay out of danger.”
In some regions, glaciers are retreating so rapidly that they could disappear within a few decades. “But it’s not too late to act,” concludes Sevestre.
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