NASA’s NISAR satellite has captured a distinctive “hummingbird”-like pattern hidden beneath Antarctica’s ice, according to reports. The radar images show how features in the landscape below influence the slow movement of glacier ice. One explanation highlighted across coverage is that a mountain or underlying structure interrupts ice flow, creating a pattern that becomes visible in the radar measurements. Using advanced radar technology, the mission maps details that are not easily seen from the surface, including indications of cracking and shifting ice-related structures tied to the underlying terrain. The images also illustrate how polarised microwave signals interact with the ice, with different colours reflecting variations in how the signals reflect and scatter through the region. The observation is presented as evidence of how glaciers respond to what lies beneath them. NISAR is described as a joint effort involving NASA and ISRO, using sophisticated radar instruments to study Earth’s surface and subsurface processes.