A high-risk scientific mission to explore the ocean beneath Antarctica’s most volatile glacier has failed just short of success after instruments became trapped deep within the ice. The international effort, led by researchers from the British Antarctic Survey and South Korea’s Polar Program, spent several days drilling a narrow borehole more than 3,300 feet into the fast-moving trunk of the Thwaites Glacier, often referred to as the “glacier of the doomsday” because of its potential to dramatically raise global sea levels. Although the research team collected rare and first measurements from the seawater below, their attempts to install long-term monitoring equipment failed at the last stage, forcing them to abandon the equipment and evacuate the site.
Antarctic glacier of the end in a race against time
Working in one of the harshest environments on Earth, a team of British and South Korean scientists used hydrothermal drilling to drill a foot-wide hole through about a half-mile of ice. Once drilling began, time became the mission’s most precious resource. Without a continuous supply of hot water, the borehole will begin to refreeze within approximately 48 hours. Strong winds delayed the start, and crevasses and shifting ice complicated the work. “A chance is a chance. Nothing lasts forever,” said Keith Makinson, a drilling engineer at the British Antarctic Survey.Before failing, the researchers were able to lower a temporary instrument through a borehole into a sea cavity beneath the glacier’s main trunk. Measurements revealed that the seawater is turbulent and its temperature is high enough to cause it to melt rapidly from below. “There’s a lot of heat that’s going to encourage melting,” Peter Davis said as data poured in from beneath the ice. For scientists, these were the first direct observations from this important part of Thwaites, long suspected to be a key weak point in the glacier’s stability.
Where the last step went wrong
The mission unraveled when researchers tried to install a heavier long-term mooring device designed to allow the satellite to transmit data for up to two years. Once the cable was lowered, some of the equipment became stuck about three-quarters of the way into the borehole. The researchers believe that refreezing of the ice or subtle changes in the glacier narrowed the width of the shaft, trapping the bulky chain at the bottom and causing the remaining instruments to become stuck on top of it. “Realistically, anything stuck in there is frozen,” Makinson told colleagues as the team evaluated its options.
Why scientists say the mission remains important
Despite the loss of long-term equipment, researchers say the expedition was not a scientific failure. “This is not the end,” said Won Sang Lee of South Korea, the expedition’s chief scientist. Preliminary data confirms that warm, dynamic ocean waters are actively eroding Thwaites Island from below, reinforcing concerns that further retreat could destabilize large parts of West Antarctica. The team plans to return, claiming the brief glimpse beneath the glacier proved just how dangerous Thwaites is and how important it is to keep trying to understand it.