MELBOURNE: A groundbreaking robotic expedition has unveiled the first-ever ocean measurements from beneath the East Antarctic ice shelf — a region long beyond the reach of human exploration.
Over two and a half years, the Argo float moved silently through sub-ice waters, mapping nearly 300 kilometres beneath the Denman and Shackleton shelves and capturing close to 200 detailed profiles.
According to CSIRO scientist Steve Rintoul, the robot’s ability to sample the thin 10-metre boundary layer under the ice makes it possible to understand how ocean heat erodes ice shelves from below.
The findings reveal a sharp contrast: Shackleton remains insulated from warm intrusion, but Denman Glacier is showing signs of warm-water inflow — a phenomenon that could significantly accelerate global sea-level rise.