DC-8 Over El Mirage by NASA ICE

The El Mirage dry lake bed in the California desert, seen here from the NASA DC-8 during an IceBridge check flight, is a prime location for testing the mission's laser altimeter because it has a flat surface and reflects light in a manner similar to snow and ice. Credit: NASA / Jim Yungel NASA's Operation IceBridge is an airborne science mission to study Earth's polar ice. For more information about IceBridge, visit: <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/icebridge" rel="nofollow">www.nasa.gov/icebridge</a>