NASA satellite NISAR reveals stunning ‘Hummingbird’ image in Antarctica

Data released by NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) reveals a glacier formation in East Antarctica that resembles a hummingbird in flight.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The Earth-orbiting NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite captured the radar image during initial observation passes. The visual pattern forms as a moving ice stream collides with an isolated rocky mountaintop named Nunatak Zaterjavshijsja.

Credit: AllBlogThings

As the glacier flows northeast toward the ocean, the stationary mountain blocks its path. The pressure causes the ice to flex and fracture into deep cracks called crevasses.

NISAR tracks surface features by bouncing microwave pulses off the ground and measuring the returning signals. During the Antarctic pass, the satellite's L-band radar transmitted horizontally polarized waves toward the surface.

Smooth ice reflects the waves back in a horizontal orientation. The satellite records these reflections as magenta areas, which map the body of the bird pattern.

Rough walls inside the surrounding crevasses scatter the radar signals. These returning vertical signals appear as sharp green lines, forming the wing and tail feathers. White areas mark sections where horizontal and vertical reflections occur in equal strength.

Official documentation from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory details the physical mechanism:

"The obstruction causes stresses in the ice, heavily fracturing the surrounding surfaces with deep cracks, called crevasses, which show as sharp green lines in the image."

The image release coincides with the opening of public access to NISAR data files ahead of the satellite's first launch anniversary. ISRO launched the spacecraft on July 30, 2025, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India.

NISAR uses a 39-foot deployable mesh antenna reflector to direct radar signals. The mission combines NASA's L-band radar with ISRO's S-band radar, allowing the spacecraft to penetrate cloud cover and record surface variations twice every 12 days.

Explaining the radar imaging process, Paul Rosen, NISAR project scientist at NASA JPL, stated:

"Using special interferometric techniques that compare images over time, NISAR enables researchers and data users to create 3D movies of changes happening on Earth's surface."

Researchers worldwide now use the newly released radar datasets to track glacier movement, monitor forest canopies, and measure ground displacement from earthquakes and land subsidence.