Antarctica, home to the coldest place on Earth, experienced a worrying heat wave earlier in February, possibly even setting a record high temperature for the normally frigid continent. A NASA satellite has taken stock of what that heat meant to the local ice cap and glaciers.
NASA's Earth Observatory released two images from the agency's Landsat 8 satellite. They highlight dramatic changes in the ice and snow along the northern tip of the Antarctic peninsula.
A close-up look at Eagle Island on Feb. 4 showed plenty of snow coverage. A follow-up view from Feb. 13 revealed bright-blue melt ponds and exposed ground.
