Submarine Vanishes Beneath Antarctic Ice After Uncovering Mysterious Hidden Structures Scientists Can't Explain
The Daily Galaxy••general
Key Points:
- Advanced autonomous underwater vehicles, like Ran, have provided unprecedented high-resolution maps of the underside of Antarctica’s Dotson Ice Shelf, revealing complex terrain and localized melt patterns caused by warm ocean currents.
- The Dotson Ice Shelf is thinning unevenly, with concentrated melting along its western edge driven by warm Circumpolar Deep Water flowing through deep cavities and channels, accelerating ice shelf retreat.
- The ice shelf’s thinning reduces its ability to hold back inland glaciers, increasing the risk of accelerated ice flow into the ocean and contributing to global sea level rise.
- During a 2024 follow-up mission, the autonomous vehicle Ran disappeared beneath the ice shelf, highlighting challenges in operating robotic systems in extreme environments, though valuable data had already been collected.
- Findings
