Overview
- NASA published the L‑band radar image on July 22, 2026 showing Nunatak Zaterjavshijsja in East Antarctica and a crevasse pattern nicknamed the “hummingbird.”
- The colors in the image encode returned polarization: magenta marks surface reflections, green marks vertical or volume scattering from crevasse faces, and white marks strong mixed returns.
- The nunatak protrudes through flowing ice and forces the glacier to bend and crack, producing deep crevasses that the radar makes visible even through night and clouds.
- NISAR is a joint NASA–ISRO mission with JPL/Caltech providing the L‑band radar and a 12‑meter reflector and ISRO providing the spacecraft bus and S‑band radar.
- Scientists say the image demonstrates NISAR’s practical use for mapping hidden ice structure and monitoring glacier movement, which can inform assessments of ice‑sheet stability and sea‑level risk.