{"id":129268,"date":"2024-11-23T19:04:08","date_gmt":"2024-11-23T12:04:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=129268"},"modified":"2024-11-23T19:04:08","modified_gmt":"2024-11-23T12:04:08","slug":"antarcticas-upside-down-ice-scape-we-had-no-idea-existed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=129268","title":{"rendered":"Antarctica&#8217;s upside down ice-scape we had no idea existed"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 EXUng\">\n<div data-testid=\"hero-image\" class=\"sc-a34861b-1 jxzoZC\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/bbcx\/grey-placeholder.png\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 cOpVbP hide-when-no-script\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/160xn\/p0k5lpw4.png.webp 160w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/240xn\/p0k5lpw4.png.webp 240w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/320xn\/p0k5lpw4.png.webp 320w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/480xn\/p0k5lpw4.png.webp 480w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/640xn\/p0k5lpw4.png.webp 640w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/800xn\/p0k5lpw4.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/1024xn\/p0k5lpw4.png.webp 1024w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/1376xn\/p0k5lpw4.png.webp 1376w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/1920xn\/p0k5lpw4.png.webp 1920w\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/480xn\/p0k5lpw4.png.webp\" alt=\"Filip Stedt\/University of Gothenburg Sand dune-like ice structures found under the Dotson Ice Shelf in Antarctica (Credit: Filip Stedt\/University of Gothenburg)\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 efFcac\"\/><span class=\"sc-a34861b-2 fxQYxK\">Filip Stedt\/University of Gothenburg<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\"><b id=\"when-scientists-peered-beneath-one-of-antarctica's-floating-ice-shelves,-they-were-surprised-to-find-an-upside-down-landscape-of-peaks,-valleys-and-plateaus.\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kVRnKf\">When scientists peered beneath one of Antarctica&#8217;s floating ice shelves, they were surprised to find an upside-down landscape of peaks, valleys and plateaus.<!-- --><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">&#8220;We were surprised \u2013 we had to double check it was real,&#8221; says Anna W\u00e5hlin, professor of physical oceanography at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. &#8220;But we realised, it really does look like this \u2013 there <!-- --><i id=\"are\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kKcaog\">are<!-- --><\/i> these shapes. There is a landscape of ice down there we had no idea about before,&#8221; she says.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">In 2022, an international team of scientists led by W\u00e5hlin lowered an unmanned submersible underneath 350m (1,150ft) thick Antarctic ice. For 27 days, it travelled over 1,000km (621miles) back and forth under the Dotson Ice Shelf in West Antarctica, scanning the ice above it with an advanced sonar. The result was <!-- --><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.adn9188\" class=\"sc-c9299ecf-0 bZUiKB\" rel=\"noopener\">the very first map of the underside of an ice shelf<!-- --><\/a> \u2013 and the discovery of an otherworldly ice-scape \u2013 which W\u00e5hlin <!-- --><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gu.se\/en\/news\/a-whole-new-view-on-glacier-melting-in-antarctica\" class=\"sc-c9299ecf-0 bZUiKB\" rel=\"noopener\">likens to seeing the dark side of the moon<!-- --><\/a> for the first time. <!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">The never before seen &#8220;swirls and scoops&#8221; map the meltwater&#8217;s journey as it flows beneath the ice, giving us a new understanding of how the ocean melts Antarctica&#8217;s ice \u2013 and how its fate could affect us all.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">&#8220;The West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is what we call everything to the west of the Transantarctic Mountains,&#8221; says W\u00e5hlin. &#8220;It&#8217;s a massive amount of ice \u2013 it would be dramatic if it were to end up in the ocean,&#8221; she says. <!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 jFCfG\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"sc-a34861b-1 jxzoZC\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/bbcx\/grey-placeholder.png\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 cOpVbP hide-when-no-script\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/160xn\/p0k5lp8t.jpg.webp 160w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/240xn\/p0k5lp8t.jpg.webp 240w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/320xn\/p0k5lp8t.jpg.webp 320w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/480xn\/p0k5lp8t.jpg.webp 480w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/640xn\/p0k5lp8t.jpg.webp 640w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/800xn\/p0k5lp8t.jpg.webp 800w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/1024xn\/p0k5lp8t.jpg.webp 1024w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/1376xn\/p0k5lp8t.jpg.webp 1376w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/1920xn\/p0k5lp8t.jpg.webp 1920w\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/480xn\/p0k5lp8t.jpg.webp\" alt=\"Anders Sjo\u0308vall In 2022, an international team of scientists led by Anna W\u00e5hlin sent a submersible to explore under 350m (1,150ft) thick Antarctic ice (Credit: Anders Sjo\u0308vall)\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 efFcac\"\/><span class=\"sc-a34861b-2 fxQYxK\">Anders Sjo\u0308vall<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"sc-8353772e-0 cvNhQw\">In 2022, an international team of scientists led by Anna W\u00e5hlin sent a submersible to explore under 350m (1,150ft) thick Antarctic ice (Credit: Anders Sjo\u0308vall)<!-- --><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">While world leaders discussed the potentially devastating impacts of <!-- --><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/unfccc.int\/topics\/ocean\" class=\"sc-c9299ecf-0 bZUiKB\" rel=\"noopener\">sea level rise at COP29<!-- --><\/a> in Baku, Azerbaijan in November 2024, some 16,000km (9,904 miles) away, on the very bottom of the Earth, scientists were busy studying Antarctica&#8217;s ice shelves. They hope that by furthering understanding of how sea ice melts, we can better predict how its fate <!-- --><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/coast.noaa.gov\/slr\/\" class=\"sc-c9299ecf-0 bZUiKB\" rel=\"noopener\">could affect cities worldwide<!-- --><\/a>.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">&#8220;Over the last 30 years <!-- --><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S092181811630491X\" class=\"sc-c9299ecf-0 bZUiKB\" rel=\"noopener\">Thwaites&#8217; [melt rate] has pretty much doubled<!-- --><\/a> \u2013 and we know that&#8217;s accelerating. We think it&#8217;s going to keep accelerating, and at some point it could get much quicker,&#8221; says Alex Brisbourne, a glacier geophysicist at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). &#8220;We are really worried about how quickly Antarctica is going to put all this additional ice into the ocean. You think about all the big coastal cities \u2013 London, New York,&#8221; he says.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">&#8220;If you melt all the ice in Thwaites, you&#8217;re going to <!-- --><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41561-019-0510-8\" class=\"sc-c9299ecf-0 bZUiKB\" rel=\"noopener\">raise sea levels by 65cm<!-- --><\/a> (26 inches) \u2013 that&#8217;s the mean sea level rise across the entire globe,&#8221; says Brisbourne.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 jFCfG\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"sc-a34861b-1 jxzoZC\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/bbcx\/grey-placeholder.png\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 cOpVbP hide-when-no-script\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/160xn\/p0k5kvpz.png.webp 160w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/240xn\/p0k5kvpz.png.webp 240w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/320xn\/p0k5kvpz.png.webp 320w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/480xn\/p0k5kvpz.png.webp 480w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/640xn\/p0k5kvpz.png.webp 640w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/800xn\/p0k5kvpz.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/1024xn\/p0k5kvpz.png.webp 1024w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/1376xn\/p0k5kvpz.png.webp 1376w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/1920xn\/p0k5kvpz.png.webp 1920w\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/480xn\/p0k5kvpz.png.webp\" alt=\"Filip Stedt\/ University of Gothenburg Never before seen &quot;swirls and scoops&quot; map the meltwater's journey as it flows beneath the ice (Credit: Filip Stedt\/ University of Gothenburg)\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 efFcac\"\/><span class=\"sc-a34861b-2 fxQYxK\">Filip Stedt\/ University of Gothenburg<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"sc-8353772e-0 cvNhQw\">Never before seen &#8220;swirls and scoops&#8221; map the meltwater&#8217;s journey as it flows beneath the ice (Credit: Filip Stedt\/ University of Gothenburg)<!-- --><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">However, very little is known about Antarctica&#8217;s ice shelves, says W\u00e5hlin, as access can be tricky. &#8220;We don&#8217;t have much data from inside the cavities, and not much at all from the ocean-ice interface.&#8221; And in 2022, when W\u00e5hlin&#8217;s team failed to reach the Thwaites Ice Shelf \u2013 as sea ice and icebergs blocked their route \u2013 they instead conducted their research at Dotson.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">The team&#8217;s uncrewed submersible, named &#8220;Ran&#8221;, was programmed while on the ship, with &#8220;hundreds of lines of commands telling it what to do, where to go, what sensors to switch on&#8221;, explains W\u00e5hlin. And when team from the <!-- --><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thwaitesglacier.org\/\" class=\"sc-c9299ecf-0 bZUiKB\" rel=\"noopener\">International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC)<!-- --><\/a> watched Ran sink out of view beneath the ice shelf, &#8220;we were really nervous&#8221;, she says.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"quote-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<div class=\"sc-9967660-0 WkJHg\"><span class=\"sc-9967660-2 bBAxiJ\">It looked like the Grand Canyon. There were plateaus and swirly patterns melted into the ice \u2013 Anna W\u00e5hlin<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">But when the submersible returned with detailed images of the underside of the ice shelf, W\u00e5hlin was surprised at what she saw; peaks, valleys, plateaus and teardrop-shaped formations.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">Ice can melt at different rates along the same ice shelf, depending on the movement of the water, and Ran&#8217;s images revealed the basal topography of the Dotson Ice Shelf varies significantly from east to west. In the east the ice is thick and melts slowly. &#8220;That&#8217;s where we saw the biggest surprise,&#8221; says W\u00e5hlin. &#8220;It looked like the Grand Canyon. There were plateaus and swirly patterns melted into the ice.&#8221;<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">Moving towards the centre of the ice shelf, the images showed terraced features. Meanwhile in the west, the ice was noticeably thinner with smooth features, indicating faster-moving currents and so higher melt rates.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">&#8220;[Here] the surface was quite smooth, and you could clearly see streaks in the ice that looked like erosion from the water moving beneath it,&#8221; says W\u00e5hlin. &#8220;What surprised us, in the western part, were these scoops of ice. It was as if a giant had taken an ice cream scoop and scooped it out. We saw many \u2013 they were everywhere \u2013 75 I think we counted, shaped like teardrops or blue mussels. They were up to 300m (984ft) long \u2013 or even longer \u2013 and their vertical extent was up to 20m (66ft).&#8221;<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">The images also revealed vertical fractures that extended upwards through the ice shelf. &#8220;All over the ice shelf we saw these,&#8221; says W\u00e5hlin. &#8220;We expected that because <!-- --><a target=\"_self\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-41573917\" class=\"sc-c9299ecf-0 bZUiKB\" rel=\"noopener\">they are visible from space<!-- --><\/a> \u2013 but the surprising thing was what they looked like from below.&#8221;<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 jFCfG\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"sc-a34861b-1 jxzoZC\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/bbcx\/grey-placeholder.png\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 cOpVbP hide-when-no-script\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/160xn\/p0k5kw40.png.webp 160w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/240xn\/p0k5kw40.png.webp 240w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/320xn\/p0k5kw40.png.webp 320w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/480xn\/p0k5kw40.png.webp 480w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/640xn\/p0k5kw40.png.webp 640w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/800xn\/p0k5kw40.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/1024xn\/p0k5kw40.png.webp 1024w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/1376xn\/p0k5kw40.png.webp 1376w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/1920xn\/p0k5kw40.png.webp 1920w\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/480xn\/p0k5kw40.png.webp\" alt=\"Filip Stedt\/ University of Gothenburg Under the east side of the Dotson Ice Shelf, the water has eroded several layers of ice into structures (Credit: Filip Stedt\/ University of Gothenburg)\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 efFcac\"\/><span class=\"sc-a34861b-2 fxQYxK\">Filip Stedt\/ University of Gothenburg<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"sc-8353772e-0 cvNhQw\">Under the east side of the Dotson Ice Shelf, the water has eroded several layers of ice into structures (Credit: Filip Stedt\/ University of Gothenburg)<!-- --><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">The base of the fractures, explains W\u00e5hlin, were not smooth like the team expected \u2013 but also had scoops in them running almost at right angles to the main fracture. The older the fractures were \u2013 the oldest being about 40 years according to satellite data \u2013 the more scoops they had. &#8220;You could clearly see that they had been eroded. They were rounded at the base,&#8221; says W\u00e5hlin. <!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">Conversely, the younger fractures \u2013 ones that were two- to three-years-old, says W\u00e5hlin \u2013 had no visible scoops and abrupt edges. &#8220;We had no idea that you would see such a clear difference between the old and the new fractures,&#8221; says W\u00e5hlin.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"quote-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<div class=\"sc-9967660-0 WkJHg\"><span class=\"sc-9967660-2 bBAxiJ\">It&#8217;s colourful and full of life, like a coral reef \u2013 Patricia Yager<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">&#8220;It&#8217;s so far away. It takes forever to get there [to Antarctica],&#8221; says Patricia Yager, an oceanographer at the University of Georgia, has visited Antarctica four times to carry out her research on the links between marine ecosystems and climate change. &#8220;When the icebreaker breaks the ice and it flips upside down, it&#8217;s covered with beautiful golden algae, and krill feeding on the algae. It&#8217;s colourful and full of life, like a coral reef.&#8221; This is no biological desert, says Yager.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 jFCfG\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"sc-a34861b-1 jxzoZC\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/bbcx\/grey-placeholder.png\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 cOpVbP hide-when-no-script\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/160xn\/p0k5l2x0.jpg.webp 160w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/240xn\/p0k5l2x0.jpg.webp 240w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/320xn\/p0k5l2x0.jpg.webp 320w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/480xn\/p0k5l2x0.jpg.webp 480w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/640xn\/p0k5l2x0.jpg.webp 640w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/800xn\/p0k5l2x0.jpg.webp 800w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/1024xn\/p0k5l2x0.jpg.webp 1024w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/1376xn\/p0k5l2x0.jpg.webp 1376w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/1920xn\/p0k5l2x0.jpg.webp 1920w\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/480xn\/p0k5l2x0.jpg.webp\" alt=\"Patricia Yager Meltwater flowing from the Dotson Ice Shelf boys iron to the surface, allowing phytoplankton to bloom (Credit: Patricia Yager)\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 efFcac\"\/><span class=\"sc-a34861b-2 fxQYxK\">Patricia Yager<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"sc-8353772e-0 cvNhQw\">Meltwater flowing from the Dotson Ice Shelf boys iron to the surface, allowing phytoplankton to bloom (Credit: Patricia Yager)<!-- --><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">Spring melting of seasonal sea ice usually <!-- --><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/researchfeatures.com\/links-between-melting-ice-ecosystems\/\" class=\"sc-c9299ecf-0 bZUiKB\" rel=\"noopener\">stabilises the ocean surface layer<!-- --><\/a>, helping phytoplankton to stay in the sunlit zone where they can photosynthesise and bloom as long as there are adequate nutrients. However, the increase in melting ice is causing a <!-- --><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-024-50381-2\" class=\"sc-c9299ecf-0 bZUiKB\" rel=\"noopener\">&#8220;significant&#8221; shift<!-- --><\/a>, according to research by Portuguese and Brazilian scientists. This raises questions, they say, about what the consequences might be for global carbon sequestration and Antarctic food webs in the future \u2013 if the vital components of nutrient supply, light exposure and stability from sea ice melt do not coincide.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">&#8220;This place doesn&#8217;t seem like it&#8217;s touched by humans,&#8221; says Yager, &#8220;but it&#8217;s hugely touched&#8221;. A decade after her first visit, Yager returned to find &#8220;much more fresh water&#8221; dumped into the ocean as the ice melts ever faster. &#8220;The salinity of the ocean was very much fresher than it had been,&#8221; she says. &#8220;There&#8217;s all this warm water invading the upper couple of 100 metres of the ocean. And that&#8217;s kind of shocking. It makes it harder for the sea ice to form, because the sea ice depends on the water being cold enough to freeze,&#8221; says Yager. &#8220;There are places where the ice isn&#8217;t coming back as early as it should in the fall, and places where it disappears sooner than it should in the spring.&#8221;<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">If climate change continues to increase meltwater and iron availability in the Amundsen Sea polynya, phytoplankton will continue bloom in the short term, says Yager. But if left unchecked, <!-- --><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/researchfeatures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Professor-Patricia-Yager-University-of-Georgia-Climate-Change.pdf\" class=\"sc-c9299ecf-0 bZUiKB\" rel=\"noopener\">it could spell the end for sea ice altogether<!-- --><\/a>. If the ice disappears, the delicate layers of the sea will blend together, and the wind will mix phytoplankton down to where they can no longer bloom, says Yager. Then, she adds, the extra iron from glacial meltwater won&#8217;t help.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">In 2024, W\u00e5hlin&#8217;s team returned to Antarctica to continue mapping the underside of the Dotson Ice Shelf \u2013 but after just two dives, Ran <!-- --><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/interestingengineering.com\/videos\/ep-6-mystery-under-ice-the-disappearance-of-ran-auv\" class=\"sc-c9299ecf-0 bZUiKB\" rel=\"noopener\">disappeared into the darkness<!-- --><\/a>, and was lost without a trace.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">&#8220;The difficulty here is in the programming,&#8221; says W\u00e5hlin. &#8220;You have to think about all the scenarios \u2013 what it [the unmanned submersible] could possibly encounter, and how it will react if it encounters something that you haven&#8217;t anticipated. For example, it checks all the time: &#8216;how close am I to the seabed, and how close am I to the ice above&#8217;.&#8221;<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 jFCfG\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"sc-a34861b-1 jxzoZC\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/bbcx\/grey-placeholder.png\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 cOpVbP hide-when-no-script\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/160xn\/p0k5l4g6.jpg.webp 160w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/240xn\/p0k5l4g6.jpg.webp 240w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/320xn\/p0k5l4g6.jpg.webp 320w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/480xn\/p0k5l4g6.jpg.webp 480w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/640xn\/p0k5l4g6.jpg.webp 640w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/800xn\/p0k5l4g6.jpg.webp 800w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/1024xn\/p0k5l4g6.jpg.webp 1024w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/1376xn\/p0k5l4g6.jpg.webp 1376w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/1920xn\/p0k5l4g6.jpg.webp 1920w\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/480xn\/p0k5l4g6.jpg.webp\" alt=\"Li Ling\/ KTH Royal Institute of Technology In 2024, the submersible named Ran disappeared into the darkness, and was lost without a trace (Credit: Li Ling\/ KTH Royal Institute of Technology)\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 efFcac\"\/><span class=\"sc-a34861b-2 fxQYxK\">Li Ling\/ KTH Royal Institute of Technology<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"sc-8353772e-0 cvNhQw\">In 2024, the submersible named Ran disappeared into the darkness, and was lost without a trace (Credit: Li Ling\/ KTH Royal Institute of Technology)<!-- --><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">W\u00e5hlin&#8217;s theory is that the submersible may have run into some curious marine mammals, causing it to change course so as to avoid collision. &#8220;We did notice many Weddell seals in the area,&#8221; she says. If seals were to circle the vehicle, she adds, a new manoeuvre would be triggered, and another and another. &#8220;Eventually it could get stuck. Then it would shut down all systems and stop the propeller to try and conserve energy. If that were to happen under the ice, it wouldn&#8217;t come out again.&#8221;<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">But questions remain unanswered about the structures the submersible found, too. The researchers saw patterns on the base of the ice shelf they were not expecting \u2013 perhaps formed by flowing water under the influence of Earth&#8217;s rotation, says W\u00e5hlin. Current models can&#8217;t explain these discoveries, she says, and there is a wealth of processes left to discover in future research missions under the glaciers.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">&#8220;We hope to be able to replace Ran and continue this important work,&#8221; says W\u00e5hlin. &#8220;I would love to go back and look again at the patterns \u2013 to see how they change over the years.&#8221;<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\"><i id=\"for-more-science,-technology,-environment-and-health-stories-from-the-bbc,-follow-us-on\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kKcaog\">For more science, technology, environment and health stories from the BBC, follow us on <!-- --><\/i><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BBCFuture\/\" class=\"sc-c9299ecf-0 bZUiKB\" rel=\"noopener\"><i id=\"facebook\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kKcaog\">Facebook<!-- --><\/i><\/a><i id=\",\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kKcaog\">, <!-- --><\/i><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BBC_Future\" class=\"sc-c9299ecf-0 bZUiKB\" rel=\"noopener\"><i id=\"x\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kKcaog\">X<!-- --><\/i><\/a><i id=\"and\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kKcaog\"> and <!-- --><\/i><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bbcfuture_official\/\" class=\"sc-c9299ecf-0 bZUiKB\" rel=\"noopener\"><i id=\"instagram\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kKcaog\">Instagram<!-- --><\/i><\/a><i id=\".\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kKcaog\">.<!-- --><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/future\/article\/20241119-antarcticas-upside-down-ice-scape-we-had-no-idea-existed\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Filip Stedt\/University of Gothenburg When scientists peered beneath one of Antarctica&#8217;s floating ice shelves, they were surprised to find an upside-down landscape of peaks, valleys and plateaus. &#8220;We were surprised &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=129268\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8628],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-129268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-science","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129268","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=129268"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129268\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=129268"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=129268"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=129268"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}