Overview
- NASA published the NISAR L‑band radar image on July 22, 2026 that NISAR scientists nicknamed the “hummingbird.”
- The data, collected in August 2025, show Nunatak Zaterjavshijsja poking through an East Antarctica ice stream and forcing heavy fracturing of the surrounding ice.
- NISAR maps returned polarization as magenta for horizontal surface reflections, green for vertical volume scattering from features like crevasse faces, and white where both return strongly.
- The image showcases NISAR’s dual‑SAR design and its 12‑meter drum‑shaped reflector, a configuration that combines NASA’s L‑band and ISRO’s S‑band sensors to probe surface and subsurface ice.
- Scientists say repeated NISAR observations can track glacier movement and changing stress patterns, offer views through darkness and clouds, and improve understanding of ice‑sheet behavior tied to sea‑level rise.