Robot Sub Searches For Signs Of Melting 60 Km Into An Antarctic Ice Shelf Cavity
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 - 11:42
in Earth & Climate
Autosub, a robot submarine built and developed in the UK, has successfully completed a high-risk campaign of six missions traveling under an Antarctic glacier. Autosub has been exploring Pine Island Glacier, a floating extension of the West Antarctic ice sheet, using sonar scanners to map the seabed and the underside of the ice as it juts into the sea. Scientists hope to learn why the glacier has been thinning and accelerating.