2023-11-28 16:04:41
Despite the rapid development of science, we still know quite a bit regarding Antarctica. For example, it is not entirely clear to what extent tectonic activities affect the rate of ice melting, so the British Antarctic Survey is using a new method to map this: they will soon use a drone to study what is happening under the Antarctic ice. Antarctica is undergoing significant changes, one of the main causes of which is climate change caused by human activities. However, the forces acting on the ice sheet include underground flows, volcanic activity, and above all, the dramatic tectonic movements of the past. The study of Antarctic ice is regarding to take the next level thanks to the ULTRA drone, a new fully autonomous aircraft designed specifically for missions in extreme weather conditions. The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) plans to deploy this drone to find out how past tectonic events will affect ice melting in the future. The aim of the project is to determine the “grounding line” around Antarctica, which marks the line where the ice sheet is no longer in contact with the land. If this can be mapped, scientists will be able to make more accurate predictions regarding future effects. What is under Antarctica? “Antarctica is the least known place on the planet,” says Dr Tom Jordan, a geophysicist working on the BAS aeronautics project. Tectonic data are not available for some locations, mainly due to fuel restrictions. But ULTRA allows scientists to take more comprehensive scans, so they can map what’s hidden beneath the ice. If the first experiments are successful, in the future, autonomous drones controlled by artificial intelligence might be sent in swarms to Antarctica to carry out coordinated missions. Scientists fear that tectonic activity has created depressions under Antarctica that might cause the ice surface to sink below sea level and contact with warmer water to cause faster melting. Thanks to the project, it will become clear how likely this is, as well as the rate of melting of the ice will be determined more precisely.
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