First Antarctic-wide map of grounded icebergs reveals 'picket fence effect' holding sea ice in place

by Australian Antarctic Program Partnership

edited by Lisa Lock , reviewed by Robert Egan

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Add as preferred source Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain For the first time, important features of the Antarctic coastal zone have been mapped at high resolution around the continent by training an artificial intelligence tool to accurately recognize grounded icebergs in satellite radar images.

Grounded icebergs are large icebergs that frequently run aground on the seafloor around Antarctica, keeping them stationary for days to decades. They are important for anchoring sea ice, which in turn holds back land ice from slipping into the ocean while providing habitat and nutrients for marine ecosystems.