For some Antarctic lakes, pressure exerted by the ice above forces its water to fill an adjacent lake. The movement results in elevation changes at the surface over both lakes, detectable by NASA satellites. Credit: NASA Goddard's Scientific Visualization Studio
Understanding this plumbing is important, as it can lubricate glacier flow and send the ice speeding toward the ocean, where it can melt and contribute to sea level change. But figuring out what's happening beneath miles of ice is a challenge.

Researchers led by Smith analyzed 4.5 years of ice elevation data from NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation satellite (ICESat) to create the most complete inventory to date of changes in the Antarctic plumbing system. The team has mapped the location of 124 active lakes, estimated how fast they drain or fill.

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