A Record Early Melt Season for Canada's Barnes Ice Cap

• The Barnes Ice Cap in the Canadian Arctic experienced an exceptionally early transition to bare ice in the summer of 2026.
• Satellite imagery from Landsat 9 shows widespread surface meltwater channels and turquoise ponds by mid-July.
• Glaciologist Mauri Pelto confirmed this was the earliest the ice cap has appeared bare on record.

Background and Context

• Located in the center of Baffin Island, the ice cap is a remnant of the historic Laurentide Ice Sheet.
• It currently spans approximately 5,700 square kilometers (2,200 square miles) with ice thickness reaching up to 730 meters (2,400 feet).
• Like most glaciers in the Canadian Arctic, the Barnes Ice Cap is undergoing long-term thinning and retreat.

2026 Melt Observations

• The melt season began with a thinner-than-average winter snowpack.
• The rapid transition to bare ice within a few weeks of the season's start indicates an accelerated pace of melting compared to previous years.
• Surface features observed by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) include:
  • Extensive meltwater channels on the northeast side that reach the ice edge.
  • Vivid blue meltwater ponds forming on the southwest side.