The Antarctic has long been a problem for researchers who want to learn more about the area. Only the brave few are willing to venture into the area, especially during the winter time, so what can they do?
Well, things are changing for the better for scientists as engineers have created a massive 300-pound autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) that can venture below the ice for hours. According to a team of researchers, they have been able to map the Antarctic ice for the first time in 3D due to the help of Jaguar, this remarkable new yellow robotic vehicle.
"This is really the first AUV mission where we could get detailed maps of ice. It is a lot like the advances drones have which enable people to do airborne surveys easily now," Ted Maksym, a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution scientist and co-author of the paper.
This is very interesting as it shows how rapidly technology is increasing. In a few years, we bet these robots will get even smaller and come with weeks long battery life to boot.
Information gathered by researchers has proven that ice in the Antarctic is receding. However, for some reason, the same can't be said for ice in the Antarctic. In fact, ice in the Antarctic is increasing and getting thicker rather than thinner.
The new vehicle should give scientists more information on what is causing the ice in the Antarctic to gain more impenetrable mass.
While the ice is becoming thicker, the findings are not yet conclusive, so scientists cannot make a report claiming their information to be true. They would have to perform more digging to find out if what is happening should be viewed as an isolated case, or something that is more widespread than previously thought. One thing is for certain, though, this is not a sign that global warming does not exist at all, and we are confident that in the coming months, scientists will understand what is really happening in the Antarctic.
At the end of the day, however, the new robot is expected to make a difference in underwater research in both the Arctic and Antarctic.
