Photon Phright-day: Ghost Islands Unveiled by ICESat-2 Lidar

Dive into the mystery of recently formed oceanic islands with ICESat-2's cutting-edge lidar technology! 👻🌊 Remote and elusive islands like Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai (HTHH) are brought to light as ICESat-2 reveals the secrets hidden beneath the waves.

Explore the interior crater lake of HTHH, a vent complex formed during a spectacular volcanic eruption in 2014-2015. ICESat-2's lidar bathymetry, with precision-targeted transections, takes you to depths greater than 10 meters, unraveling the unique topography of this submerged landscape.

Join us on this virtual expedition as ICESat-2 showcases its agility in measuring dynamic, short-lived phenomena, offering a cost-effective and logistically efficient alternative to field operations. 🚀🔍 Witness the future of oceanic exploration, contributing valuable data to Earth sciences in the era of climate change and sea-level rise. 🌐🌍 #GhostIslands #ICESat2Discovery #oceanicexploration