Studying remote parts of Antarctic glaciers requires special equipment
United States Antarctic Program United States Antarctic Program Logo National Science Foundation Logo
Alert
As of midnight, December 20, 2024, the U.S. government is experiencing a lapse in appropriations. Until the situation is resolved, please refer to OPM.gov website regarding the status for federal employees. We expect the U.S. Antarctic Program to remain operational under our contractor for the foreseeable future. Should the situation change, we will post additional information on this website when it is legally permissible to do so.
 

Studying remote parts of Antarctica and its glaciers can require specialized equipment and innovative technologies.

National Science Foundation
Office of Polar Programs
4201 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22230


Posted April 7, 2021

Georgia Tech researcher Dr. Britney Schmidt is the lead scientist for Icefin Robot: a small, under-ice, robotic oceanographer. Icefin's incredible capabilities uses sonar, chemical and biological sensors to help researchers better understand sub-ice environments around and beneath ice shelves.

Icefin has played a critical role in the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration ( https://thwaitesglacier.org/) MELT project, giving scientists the first images of life under the Thwaites Glacier and the Kamb Ice Stream. Not only does the use of Icefin impact our understanding of the Thwaites Glacier, but it has the opportunity to advance science beyond the continent. The work being done in the harsh conditions of Antarctica can help in the development of technology that may one day be needed to explore other oceans in our solar system.

To learn more about Icefin visit https://schmidt.eas.gatech.edu/icefin/.