Autonomous Ocean Robots Break Record During Year-Long Antarctic Ice Survey
University of Washington-led ocean robots successfully complete the first year-long mission under an Antarctic ice shelf, traveling deep into the treacherous cavity to gather vital climate data.
A team of autonomous ocean robots achieves a historic milestone by successfully traveling under an Antarctic ice shelf and returning with long-term observations. Over the past year, these self-guided Seagliders navigate under the ice 18 times, reaching more than 40 kilometers into the cavity to complete the farthest trips ever recorded in this harsh environment.
This mission represents the first time modern, long-endurance platforms maintain a persistent presence under an ice shelf for an entire year. By navigating at will inside the cavity, the gliders and drifting floats collect extensive measurements that mark a major step forward in polar ocean exploration.
The data gathered by these robots reveals how warmer seawater interacts with the underside of ice shelves. These direct observations help scientists improve models of ice sheet dynamics in Antarctica and Greenland, which hold the biggest unknowns for predicting future global sea level rise.