The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has won a grant to develop an autonomous Antarctic ice shelf monitoring system prototype.
These ice shelves act as a giant safety valve around the ocean. They act as a large band that prevents vast swathes of the rest of the Antarctic ice sheet from slipping into the ocean. As these melt, they weaken, allowing more and more ice to slip into the ocean.
The work to develop the system to monitor these shelves is being done by two WHOI scientists, Catherine Walker and Weifeng (Gordon) Zhang. According to Walker:
“Of all the things that drive global sea-level rise, the response of Antarctic ice shelves to continued warming — from the air above and the ocean below — represents one of the biggest question marks. So far, scientists have been able to send underwater vehicles under ice shelves to make measurements for relatively short periods. What we really need are continuous long-term observations to fill that gap in our knowledge about the planet.”
While WHOI Deputy Director and Vice President for Science and Engineering Rick Murray added:
“Development of SAMS represents a significant leap forward in underwater technology and ocean observing capabilities, especially in extreme environments. This investment by the Keck Foundation will open new possibilities for research in some of the most challenging but crucial parts of our planet.”
