--- title: "Scientists Send Robot Under Doomsday Glacier, Alarmed by What It Found" description: "Using a torpedo-like robot to have a closer look at Antarctica's Doomsday Glacier, researchers have discovered cracks and worrying \"staircase\" formations." date: "2023-02-16" modified: "2023-02-16" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/scientists-robot-doomsday-glacier-alarmed" categories: - "Climate Change" - "Environment" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "Antarctica" - "climate change" - "glaciers" - "sea level rise" - "the digest" --- # Scientists Send Robot Under Doomsday Glacier, Alarmed by What It Found ![Using a torpedo-like robot to have a closer look at Antarctica's Doomsday Glacier, researchers have discovered cracks and worrying "staircase" formations.]() *\Image: Rob Robbins/ITGC\* ## Doomsday Glacier The Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica — perhaps better known as the "[Doomsday Glacier]()" — is about the size of Florida and locked in place by a small ice shelf, which acts as an important buffer against sea level rise. Now, using a torpedo-like robot to get a closer look, researchers have discovered that this critical shelf is starting to show cracks and "staircase" formations, worrying signs that it's undergoing rapid changes as climate change accelerates, [*CNN* reports](). The consequences, as the glacier's nickname suggests, could be disastrous. If it was to collapse, the glacier could contribute to a sea level rise of more than two feet, which could pose a grave threat to coastal communities worldwide. ## Icefin Station To get a better look at the ice shelf, researchers sent a small robot dubbed Icefin almost 2,000 feet below the surface via a bored hole. The remotely-controlled robot collected images and videos, as well as crucial data including water temperature and salinity. The robot could "swim up to these really dynamic places and take data from the sea floor all the way to the ice," Britney Schmidt, a Cornell University professor and lead author of [one of two papers]() about the findings published in the journal *Nature*, told *CNN*. The collected data paints a nuanced picture, according to the researchers, revealing that the glacier is melting slower than expected as compared to previous projections, averaging 6.5 to 17.7 feet a year. "What we have found is that despite small amounts of melting there is still rapid glacier retreat, so it seems that it doesn’t take a lot to push the glacier out of balance," Peter Davis, British Antarctic Survey oceanographer and lead author on the [second paper](), told *CNN*, warning that the "glacier is still in trouble." ## When, Not If Massive cracks, in particular, worried the researchers, leading to accelerated melting, something that could eventually trigger an "ice shelf collapse," they argue. In short, it's not a matter of whether the Thwaites Glacier will collapse — it's a matter of when, which means studying the area could allow us to better prepare when disaster inevitably strikes. "Despite it being so remote, the consequences of what happens on Thwaites will impact everybody," Davis told *CNN*. **READ MORE:** [So-called Doomsday Glacier is ‘in trouble,’ scientists say after finding surprising formations under ice shelf]() \[*CNN*\] **More on glaciers:** *[Antarctic Research Project Will Determine If a Huge Glacier Will Soon Break Off]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()