Adrian Luckman
@adrianluckman.bsky.social
Polar scientist studying ice dynamics using satellite data. I create and share animations of icy activity from satellite images
Reposted by Adrian Luckman
⚒️ Article: Record grounded glacier retreat caused by an ice plain calving process
@adrianluckman.bsky.social @etienneberthier.bsky.social @drnaomio.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@adrianluckman.bsky.social @etienneberthier.bsky.social @drnaomio.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
November 3, 2025 at 4:30 PM
⚒️ Article: Record grounded glacier retreat caused by an ice plain calving process
@adrianluckman.bsky.social @etienneberthier.bsky.social @drnaomio.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@adrianluckman.bsky.social @etienneberthier.bsky.social @drnaomio.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Adrian Luckman
Swansea Uni co-author @adrianluckman.bsky.social put this Sentinel-1 movie together. "Although the paleo record indicates some very rapid retreats in the past, the pace of retreat of Hektoria Glacier and its neighbours is unprecedented in the observational record," Adrian says.
November 3, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Swansea Uni co-author @adrianluckman.bsky.social put this Sentinel-1 movie together. "Although the paleo record indicates some very rapid retreats in the past, the pace of retreat of Hektoria Glacier and its neighbours is unprecedented in the observational record," Adrian says.
Reposted by Adrian Luckman
Iceberg A23a continues to break apart in the southern Atlantic Ocean, near the island of South Georgia.
September 16, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Iceberg A23a continues to break apart in the southern Atlantic Ocean, near the island of South Georgia.
Reposted by Adrian Luckman
We have a new preprint out reviewing the monitoring & detection of Svalbard surging glaciers: eartharxiv.org/repository/v...
We also compiled a new database of Svalbard's surge-type glaciers: zenodo.org/records/1524...
@dannipearce.bsky.social @hazlovell.bsky.social @adrianluckman.bsky.social
We also compiled a new database of Svalbard's surge-type glaciers: zenodo.org/records/1524...
@dannipearce.bsky.social @hazlovell.bsky.social @adrianluckman.bsky.social
Surging glaciers in Svalbard: Observing their distribution, characteristics and evolution
eartharxiv.org
August 22, 2025 at 9:47 AM
We have a new preprint out reviewing the monitoring & detection of Svalbard surging glaciers: eartharxiv.org/repository/v...
We also compiled a new database of Svalbard's surge-type glaciers: zenodo.org/records/1524...
@dannipearce.bsky.social @hazlovell.bsky.social @adrianluckman.bsky.social
We also compiled a new database of Svalbard's surge-type glaciers: zenodo.org/records/1524...
@dannipearce.bsky.social @hazlovell.bsky.social @adrianluckman.bsky.social
Reposted by Adrian Luckman
Check out this time-lapse video of waves eroding an ice front from an experiment conducted in our cryogenic wave tank at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The tank is housed in a walk-in freezer, and the waves are precisely controlled. This video captures about an hour of wave erosion.
July 16, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Check out this time-lapse video of waves eroding an ice front from an experiment conducted in our cryogenic wave tank at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The tank is housed in a walk-in freezer, and the waves are precisely controlled. This video captures about an hour of wave erosion.
Reposted by Adrian Luckman
In case you were wondering... Iceberg A23a seen cruising around South Georgia today by Meteosat 12. The old berg still has an area of 2,846 sq km.
July 7, 2025 at 3:43 PM
In case you were wondering... Iceberg A23a seen cruising around South Georgia today by Meteosat 12. The old berg still has an area of 2,846 sq km.
Reposted by Adrian Luckman
I hope everyone on this website thinks very carefully about this graph and then considers whether or not they need to reorder their priorities at all.
June 26, 2025 at 7:41 PM
I hope everyone on this website thinks very carefully about this graph and then considers whether or not they need to reorder their priorities at all.
Jakobshavn Isbrae (Ilulisat Glacier) produces 10% of Greenland's icebergs (Wikipedia). Ten years of @esa.int Copernicus #Sentinel-1 SAR data shows ice pouring into Baffin Bay. Winter advance and summer retreat of the ice front show how calving is controlled by seasonal freeze-up of fjord ice melange
June 26, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Jakobshavn Isbrae (Ilulisat Glacier) produces 10% of Greenland's icebergs (Wikipedia). Ten years of @esa.int Copernicus #Sentinel-1 SAR data shows ice pouring into Baffin Bay. Winter advance and summer retreat of the ice front show how calving is controlled by seasonal freeze-up of fjord ice melange
Reposted by Adrian Luckman
Sentinel-1 has finally got a clear view of iceberg A23a (13/6/25). The berg is much diminished as it skirts around South Georgia. And the US National Ice Center has updated its stats: A23a is now only the world's second biggest berg at 829.79 sqNM, or 2846,11 sqKM.
June 15, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Sentinel-1 has finally got a clear view of iceberg A23a (13/6/25). The berg is much diminished as it skirts around South Georgia. And the US National Ice Center has updated its stats: A23a is now only the world's second biggest berg at 829.79 sqNM, or 2846,11 sqKM.
Reposted by Adrian Luckman
📣 PhD position on #WorldSaltmarshDay! 🌱
👉Develop and deploy open-source sensors to measure #biophysical properties to predict #coastal #wetland #restoration success @ Swansea Uni + 3-month placement with Welsh Gov. Plz share! 🙏
www.swansea.ac.uk/postgraduate...
👉Develop and deploy open-source sensors to measure #biophysical properties to predict #coastal #wetland #restoration success @ Swansea Uni + 3-month placement with Welsh Gov. Plz share! 🙏
www.swansea.ac.uk/postgraduate...
Biosciences (Restoration Ecology): Fully Funded PhD Studentship in Restoring Intertidal Systems using Electronics (RS851) - Swansea UniversityMenu
We offer a wide range of funded and fully funded research scholarships in all subject areas. Explore your options and apply now.
www.swansea.ac.uk
June 11, 2025 at 7:48 AM
📣 PhD position on #WorldSaltmarshDay! 🌱
👉Develop and deploy open-source sensors to measure #biophysical properties to predict #coastal #wetland #restoration success @ Swansea Uni + 3-month placement with Welsh Gov. Plz share! 🙏
www.swansea.ac.uk/postgraduate...
👉Develop and deploy open-source sensors to measure #biophysical properties to predict #coastal #wetland #restoration success @ Swansea Uni + 3-month placement with Welsh Gov. Plz share! 🙏
www.swansea.ac.uk/postgraduate...
Nested glacier surges! This is Liestolbreen in Svalbard, surging into Nathorstbreen (which itself surged from 2008), and then being surged into by Doktorbreen. All brought to you by the magic of Sentinel-1 SAR
June 10, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Nested glacier surges! This is Liestolbreen in Svalbard, surging into Nathorstbreen (which itself surged from 2008), and then being surged into by Doktorbreen. All brought to you by the magic of Sentinel-1 SAR
Reposted by Adrian Luckman
The movement of iceberg A23a over the past seven days. It's moved about 80km to the southeast of the position where it grounded off the coast of South Georgia in early March. Zoomed in animation from Meteosat-12.
June 4, 2025 at 2:41 PM
The movement of iceberg A23a over the past seven days. It's moved about 80km to the southeast of the position where it grounded off the coast of South Georgia in early March. Zoomed in animation from Meteosat-12.
Reposted by Adrian Luckman
With days shortening at South Georgia (it's about 8 hours from sunrise to sunset), optical satellite coverage in the region is getting more restricted. Not so for Meteosat, which images the Europe/Africa hemisphere regardless of season. Hence we get a few views of iceberg A23a. Still grounded.
May 30, 2025 at 2:47 PM
With days shortening at South Georgia (it's about 8 hours from sunrise to sunset), optical satellite coverage in the region is getting more restricted. Not so for Meteosat, which images the Europe/Africa hemisphere regardless of season. Hence we get a few views of iceberg A23a. Still grounded.
Reposted by Adrian Luckman
There was a spectacular view of iceberg A23a on 3 May. Clear skies over the berg and South Georgia. By my measurement, A23a is no longer the world's biggest iceberg. At ~2850 sq km, it's now bested by D15a - but only just. The US National Ice Center will be the final judge on the matter.
May 6, 2025 at 9:49 AM
There was a spectacular view of iceberg A23a on 3 May. Clear skies over the berg and South Georgia. By my measurement, A23a is no longer the world's biggest iceberg. At ~2850 sq km, it's now bested by D15a - but only just. The US National Ice Center will be the final judge on the matter.
The journey of Iceberg A23a (largest, oldest, 'living' berg) since the beginning of 2024, as seen by NASA MODIS, including its five-month pirouette on the Taylor Column, short embrace by the pack ice in August, grounding on South Georgia's shelf in April, and baby calf. Watch this space for updates!
May 2, 2025 at 2:54 PM
The journey of Iceberg A23a (largest, oldest, 'living' berg) since the beginning of 2024, as seen by NASA MODIS, including its five-month pirouette on the Taylor Column, short embrace by the pack ice in August, grounding on South Georgia's shelf in April, and baby calf. Watch this space for updates!
Large fractures continue to open up at the grounding line of Thwaites Glacier Eastern Ice Shelf. Animation contains @copernicusland.bsky.social #Sentinel-1C data alongside 1A and 1B
May 1, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Large fractures continue to open up at the grounding line of Thwaites Glacier Eastern Ice Shelf. Animation contains @copernicusland.bsky.social #Sentinel-1C data alongside 1A and 1B
Reposted by Adrian Luckman
US National Ice Center formally catalogues A23c, the big off-cut from grounded behemoth A23a. Daughter berg is ~130km² - or 2x Manhattan Island. A23a (~3,100km²) only needs to lose another ~30km² to hand "World's Biggest Iceberg" title to D15a (~3,070km²) in Amery Sea.
April 22, 2025 at 12:41 PM
US National Ice Center formally catalogues A23c, the big off-cut from grounded behemoth A23a. Daughter berg is ~130km² - or 2x Manhattan Island. A23a (~3,100km²) only needs to lose another ~30km² to hand "World's Biggest Iceberg" title to D15a (~3,070km²) in Amery Sea.
Reposted by Adrian Luckman
A big chunk has broken away from iceberg A23a, currently grounded at South Georgia. I calculate ~110 sq km. Looks to have fractured sometime on 11/12 April. It will get a US National Ice Center designation. It should be A23c, unless I'm mistaken.
April 16, 2025 at 9:12 AM
A big chunk has broken away from iceberg A23a, currently grounded at South Georgia. I calculate ~110 sq km. Looks to have fractured sometime on 11/12 April. It will get a US National Ice Center designation. It should be A23c, unless I'm mistaken.
Kronebreen is one of the fastest flowing glaciers in Svalbard. Ten years of @esa.int #Sentinel-1 data shows us both the annual advance/retreat cycle characteristic of melt-undercut calving in a seasonally warmed fjord, and the long-term retreat caused by climate warming. Email me for hi-res version
April 7, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Kronebreen is one of the fastest flowing glaciers in Svalbard. Ten years of @esa.int #Sentinel-1 data shows us both the annual advance/retreat cycle characteristic of melt-undercut calving in a seasonally warmed fjord, and the long-term retreat caused by climate warming. Email me for hi-res version
Fantastic new animation from ESA featuring CryoSat-2 & Sentinel-1 animations, highlighting our Nature-Comms paper "The influence of subglacial lake discharge on Thwaites Glacier ice-shelf melting and grounding-line retreat" www.nature.com/articles/s41... led by Noel Gourmelan: youtu.be/vRMeiMsQkBE
How subglacial lakes threaten Antarctic Ice Sheet stability
YouTube video by European Space Agency, ESA
youtu.be
April 3, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Fantastic new animation from ESA featuring CryoSat-2 & Sentinel-1 animations, highlighting our Nature-Comms paper "The influence of subglacial lake discharge on Thwaites Glacier ice-shelf melting and grounding-line retreat" www.nature.com/articles/s41... led by Noel Gourmelan: youtu.be/vRMeiMsQkBE
So exciting! Sentinel-1C (launched December) is finally delivering data to users and we can get back to exploring 6-day-repeat interferometry and feature-tracking such as this lovely new velocity map of Helheim Glacier in East Greenland. Nice one Copernicus!
April 3, 2025 at 1:40 PM
So exciting! Sentinel-1C (launched December) is finally delivering data to users and we can get back to exploring 6-day-repeat interferometry and feature-tracking such as this lovely new velocity map of Helheim Glacier in East Greenland. Nice one Copernicus!
Reposted by Adrian Luckman
You don't need to be a seismologist to look at this figure and understand the huge forces that ripped through Myanmar on March 28. The M7.7 quake ruptured fully 500km of the Sagaing Fault, moving its western flank north, with >3m of slip at the surface. Data from EU Sentinel satellites.
April 2, 2025 at 5:40 PM
You don't need to be a seismologist to look at this figure and understand the huge forces that ripped through Myanmar on March 28. The M7.7 quake ruptured fully 500km of the Sagaing Fault, moving its western flank north, with >3m of slip at the surface. Data from EU Sentinel satellites.
Update on Thwaites Glacier Eastern Ice Shelf from Copernicus Sentinel-1 SAR. Downloadable version here: aluckman4.wixsite.com/ade-s-world-...
March 31, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Update on Thwaites Glacier Eastern Ice Shelf from Copernicus Sentinel-1 SAR. Downloadable version here: aluckman4.wixsite.com/ade-s-world-...
Reposted by Adrian Luckman
Iceberg A23a pictured from the ISS. The space station is almost as far south as it can reach here (51.5° S, 49.0° W - altitude of 422km). Picture taken on 14 March, so the berg had been grounded at South Georgia for a fortnight by this time.
March 24, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Iceberg A23a pictured from the ISS. The space station is almost as far south as it can reach here (51.5° S, 49.0° W - altitude of 422km). Picture taken on 14 March, so the berg had been grounded at South Georgia for a fortnight by this time.
As polar night ends and sunlight begins to return to Longyearbyen, lets see how the Svalbard seasons progressed last year - from ice-locked fjords in March, through to the first snows of October. Thanks to NASA MODIS via GIBS. Download at full resolution here: aluckman4.wixsite.com/ade-s-world-...
March 17, 2025 at 2:53 PM
As polar night ends and sunlight begins to return to Longyearbyen, lets see how the Svalbard seasons progressed last year - from ice-locked fjords in March, through to the first snows of October. Thanks to NASA MODIS via GIBS. Download at full resolution here: aluckman4.wixsite.com/ade-s-world-...