Remote sensing by satellite can show the extent of glaciers in high resolution, but for a detailed understanding of the flow or fracture behaviour of glaciers, their investigation on site is indispensable,’ explains Bischof, who heads the Scientific Computing group at TU Darmstadt. ‘In particular, this is the only way to determine reliable input and boundary values for computer simulations.’ Such simulations require large computing capacities such as those offered by the ‘Lichtenberg’.

The flight was part of the 'Polar Monitor 2024' expedition, which aims to study the structure of glaciers and ice fields in Greenland using radar and laser measurements as well as high-resolution camera images. The project is led by the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in Bremerhaven, Germany.

Professor Angelika Humbert, an AWI glaciologist and lecturer at the Technical University of Darmstadt, is studying the dynamics and changes in glaciers. This involves simulating the ice mechanics and hydrology of ice sheets on high-performance computers.

Prof Humbert also gives a lecture on the 'Mechanics of Glaciers and Ice Sheets' at the TU Darmstadt. The German Aerospace Centre (DLR) is also involved in Polar Monitor 2024.