Start Date: End Date: Published Date Data Date
Data acquired May 16, 2001 750 x 1000 175 KB - JPEG
Data acquired May 16, 2001 1500 x 2000 589 KB - JPEG
Data acquired May 16, 2001 3000 x 4000 1 MB - JPEG
The northward progression of the spring thaw into Baffin Bay is apparent in this MODIS image from May 16, 2001. Clear water and a stream of melting sea ice can be seen opening up between Greenland (upper right) and Canada's Ellesmere Islands. Native peoples and other early adventures explored these dangerous, ice-filled waters, and their explorations led to the discovery of the Northwest Passage, a navigable waterway from the Atlantic Ocean to the Orient that passed through the Arctic Ocean.
Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC
Published March 1, 2002 Data acquired May 16, 2001