Ice Check From Space: SENTINEL-2

by | Feb 12, 2022 | 2021-2022, Home Page

Lake Mendota before the snow, on January 13, 2022

SENTINEL-2 SATELLITE

At-home ice checking often begins with a look at MODIS satellite data. “With its sweeping 2,330-km-wide viewing swath, MODIS sees every point on our world every 1-2 days…”

SENTINEL-2 is another satellite that surveys the earth every five days at the equator and every 2-3 days at middle latitudes. SENTINEL-2 is “equipped with an opto-electronic multispectral sensor for surveying with a sentinel-2 resolution of 10 to 60 m in the visible, near infrared (VNIR), and short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectral zones, including 13 spectral channels, which ensures the capture…” 

SENTINEL-2 takes a few more steps than looking at MODIS but the views are well worth the effort. 

Register for an account, and you can download the views. 

  1. Make sure you are looking at SENTINEL-2
  2. Search 
  3. Choose the date on the calendar.
  4. Choose false color for the best ice view.