According to foreign media reports, a research team to assemble a called Icefin detector, and make it through the 20 meters thick and 500 meters deep water reach the Antarctic sea ice. This is the first time this type of robotic probes into deep under the Ross ice shelf in Antarctica, and back to the recorded video data of Marine life.
Georgia institute of technology of earth and atmospheric sciences, an assistant professor of Britney Schmidt said: “we make this kind of detector is small detectors and Marine submersible hybrids, it can drill the hole on the Antarctic ice sheet.” Icefin detector used by these techniques can also be used to search for life on other planet, such as Jupiter’s moon Europa. Antarctica’s cold ocean is very similar to the liquid on the Europa’s ocean.
Schmidt said: “at the same time, we need to explore Europa better understand sea systems. We are also continue to develop and perfect the technology, finally let us know the polar even more realistic Europa.” This kind of machine detector carrying a scientific equipment to make it able to measure the ocean under the ice conditions.
Georgia institute of technology, a team of scientists and engineers in the Antarctic to assemble the station unmanned diving equipment. The team hope Icefin detector can log in the arctic, for the first time in the summer of 2016 and to return to Antarctica in the autumn. Icefin detector for the Antarctic ice shelf under the environment of the exploration, and record video, will help us understand the Antarctic ice shelf in the change of environment, global warming can also help us understand how organisms survive in the cold light environment.
Team leader, from the Georgia institute of technology research engineer Mick West said: “Icefin really different from other submersible striking feature is that it is quite long and thin, and it has scientists need all of the sensors. It also can be used in the instrument can be used in both navigation scientific exploration, this is what other submersibles does not have.”
The southern ocean waters up to 5000 meters, the most Icefin can dive to 1500 meters deep, and 3 km of exploration. Other submersibles Icefin size and only can submerge to a depth of several hundred meters in the seawater. Icefin shooting video showed an amazing 500 meters deep seabed under the Ross ice shelf.
Schmidt said: “we observed from video complex seabed ecosystem had never seen before, and never get the interface details. The ice and ocean biological scientists McMurdo station very amazed by the location of the ecological capacity, which contains the starfish, sponges and sea anemones creatures.”