Have you ever imagined what the hidden side of a giant ice shelf in Antarctica looks like? Images collected by an underwater drone reveal a dramatic and mysterious landscape of deep crevasses, sculptural terraces and large depressions carved into the ice. You will be amazed by the wonders that nature hides beneath the frozen surface.
A landscape sculpted by the seaAntarctica: predictions and preparations for the future
A team of scientists recently mapped the far side of Antarctica’s Dotson Ice Shelf using an underwater drone called Ran. The images, published in the journal Science Advances, provide unprecedented insight into how ocean waves shape and erode the immense ice shelves.
A landscape sculpted by the sea
When I saw these images, I couldn’t take my eyes off them. “We had no idea it would look like this,” said Anna Wahlin, an oceanographer at the University of Gothenburg and the study’s lead author. Powerful ocean waves shape the ice in unexpected ways, creating a landscape that seems to have been lifted from an alien world.
Peter Davis, an oceanographer at the British Antarctic Survey and a collaborator on the study, likened the far side of the ice shelf to “a beach after the tide has receded.” The images contradict scientists’ previous belief that waves should have smoothed the ice floor. This reveals new dynamics of how the sea interacts with glaciers.
Antarctica: Forecasts and preparations for the future
These new findings are crucial to better understanding the evolution of ice shelves and more accurately predicting sea level rise caused by global warming. “This wealth of information could help us more accurately predict sea level rise,” said David Holland, a professor of mathematics and ocean sciences at New York University and a contributor to the study.
Not only that, this information could guide us in creating more resilient cities and neighborhoods in areas at risk of being submerged by rising sea levels. The hope is that society will pay attention to the signals that glaciers are sending us.
Imagine walking on a beach after the tide, observing the shapes left by the waves. Now, transport this image under thousands of tons of ice in one of the most inhospitable environments on the planet. This is the reality that scientists have discovered and that we must understand to protect our future.
What do you think? How can we act to mitigate the effects of global warming? Share your ideas and join the conversation. Together we can make a difference.
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