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In southeastern Greenland, two rivers of ice named Helheim and Kangerdlugssuaq flow in spurts and starts toward the coast. They are much like any other glacier, except each carries a network of scientific instruments that monitor their movements to the millimeter.
Geodesist James Davis, of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, in Cambridge, Mass., and his colleagues have watched the two glaciers since 2006. Their goal is to learn the details of how the glaciers move, and how they interact with earth and ocean in cycles affected by tides, temperatures, and a flock of other factors.