Satellite imagery from Landsat 9 revealed that the Barnes Ice Cap on Baffin Island lost its snow cover unusually early in summer 2026.

Key Details

• Images acquired by Landsat 9's Operational Land Imager on July 12, 2026, showed bare ice, vivid blue meltwater pools, and extensive drainage channels.
• Glaciologist Mauri Pelto noted that mid-July snow loss on the ice cap was the earliest recorded.
• Early exposure of darker bare ice accelerates solar absorption and meltwater runoff.

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