ABSTRACT
An ice shelf is a massive, thick expanse of floating ice attached to a coastline or landmass edge, formed by continental glacier accumulation and outward movement. Research aims to track melt pond (MP) and supra-glacial lake (SGL) changes on ice shelf surfaces. Multispectral data from Lansat-8 and Landsat-9 during the Austral summers of 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 were used to analyze pond depths. The study focused on the Nivlisen ice shelf in central Dronning Maud Land (cDML), East Antarctica. Depth and volume estimates utilized a Melt Pond Depth (MPD) Model based on reflected radiation properties. Results show a twofold increase in maximum pond depth and an eightfold rise in meltwater volume from January 2022 to January 2023. These findings were validated with ground truth data from the Austral summer of 2022–2023. Such increases may destabilize the ice shelf by accelerating ice flow due to prolonged surface melting fostering pond and SGL formation.
