The 1st detailed 3D imagery of Antarctic ice has become released, mapped out by underwater robots effective at reaching areas that were previously too difficult to achieve.
"We can now measure ice in far larger detail and were excited to measure ice as much as 17 metres thick, " claims the study's co-author Dr Jeremy Wilkinson through British Antarctic Survey.
Scientists from the great britain, USA and Australia utilized unmanned underwater vehicles in 2010 and also 2012 to map this thickness of sea ice across several coastal areas of Antarctica.
The researchers found in which, on average, the thickness on the ice beneath sea level had been 1. 4 to 5. 5 metres, with this thickest sea ice measured at 17 metres.
"What this effort does is actually show that observations from AUVs (autonomous underwater vehicle) beneath the ice are possible and there exists a very rich data set you can get from them, " claims Ted Maksym, a WHOI scientist and co-author on the paper.
"This work is an significant step toward making the types of routine measurements we need in order to actually monitor and understand what's happening with all the ice and the large scale changes which are occurring. "
The study's authors say although submarines happen to be used to document Arctic sea-ice thicknesses within previous studies, Antarctic measurements happen to be limited to shipboard observations and also drill holes.
Those limited studies had suggested that a majority of sea ice is thinner than a metre.
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The above story is based on materials provided by the tvnz.co.nz and image credit MailOnline.
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