An Antarctic Icebreaker Takes a Pioneering Sail
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- Scientists aboard the icebreaker Araon shifted focus from Thwaites Glacier to Pine Island Glacier, another rapidly deteriorating Antarctic ice mass affected by warm ocean currents.
- Pine Island Glacier has lost more ice than Thwaites over the past 50 years, though Thwaites would contribute more to global sea-level rise if fully melted.
- The expedition made history by becoming the first to navigate a 20-mile-long inlet formed by a large breakaway section of Pine Island Glacier's floating ice shelf.
- The inlet is hazardous due to narrow access and frequent iceberg calving, which can block the entrance and trap ships inside, causing concern among the scientists.
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