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Dotson Ice Shelf

All articles tagged with #dotson ice shelf

environment9 days ago•37 min saved

Antarctica robot sub uncovers hidden melt features before vanishing

An autonomous submarine named Ran mapped the underside of West Antarctica's Dotson Ice Shelf, revealing terraces, channels and teardrop pits carved by basal melt, before losing contact and disappearing after traveling roughly ten miles beneath the ice for about 24 hours; the data improve understanding of how warm deep water melts ice from below and influence future sea-level predictions, but the cause of Ran's disappearance remains unknown.

via Earth.com|

#antarctica #dotson-ice-shelf #environment

science20 days ago•5 min saved

Antarctica’s Ice Melt Mystery: Submarine Ran Returns with Data That Upends Climate Models

An autonomous submarine named Ran vanished under Antarctica’s Dotson Ice Shelf in January 2024 after 14 successful missions mapping about 130 square kilometers; though lost, the data it collected revealed unexpected ice–ocean features and erosion patterns that challenge current melt models, with the western part melting faster due to turbulent waters. Researchers at ITGC plan to replace Ran with Ran II to continue the mission, and the findings were published in Science Advances, potentially reshaping predictions of sea‑level rise.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#antarctica #climate-change #dotson-ice-shelf

environment1 month ago•18 min saved

Ran Submarine Uncovers Hidden Under-Ice Structures Beneath Dotson Shelf, Then Goes Silent

An autonomous submarine named Ran mapped roughly 54 square miles of the underside of Dotson Ice Shelf in West Antarctica, revealing terraces, teardrop pits, and fractures carved by basal melt, before going silent about ten miles under the shelf. Led by Anna Wåhlin of the University of Gothenburg, Ran’s under-ice maps show how warm Circumpolar Deep Water melts ice from below and concentrates erosion on the western side, with implications for future sea-level rise. The mission, conducted in 2022 and reported in Science Advances, underscores how hidden melt machinery challenges current models while leaving Ran’s fate undetermined.

via Earth.com|

#antarctica #dotson-ice-shelf #environment

science2 months ago•38 min saved

Antarctic Submersible Maps Hidden Ice, Then Vanishes Beneath Dotson Shelf

An international team used a 20-foot autonomous underwater vehicle named Ran to map the underside of the Dotson Ice Shelf in West Antarctica, revealing complex melt patterns that differ between the western and eastern portions and are influenced by underwater currents; Ran disappeared on a 2024 mission after collecting data, likely due to running aground or being lost to wildlife, prompting plans to replace it and continue this important research, with findings published in Science Advances.

via Yahoo|

#autonomous-underwater-vehicle #dotson-ice-shelf #ice-shelf-melting

environment2 months ago•3 min saved

Meltwater Myth Debunked: Antarctic Iron May Not Slow Climate

A field study at the Dotson Ice Shelf in West Antarctica finds that meltwater supplies only about 10% of the dissolved iron in outflow, with 62% from inflowing deep water and 28% from shelf sediments, undermining the iron-fertilization theory that glacier melt could curb climate change by fueling carbon-absorbing algae. The study used real-world data and careful tracing of iron sources, but covered a single site, so broader applicability remains uncertain. Further research is needed to understand subglacial iron dynamics and how they interact with warming ice shelves.

via Gizmodo|

#antarctica #dotson-ice-shelf #environment