BERLIN - The European Space Agency has launched a sophisticated satellite that scientists hope will help them pin down the effects of global warming on the Earth's ice packs more precisely by accurately measuring the thickness of ice.

The CryoSat 2 mission, which started Thursday after years of delays, will be able to pinpoint details of changes in polar ice so scientists can better understand the alarming picture of the world's retreating ice caps.

Although most scientists agree that global warming is significantly affecting the Earth's ice sheets, many also say too little is known with certainty, and that is where the CryoSat 2 mission aims to help.