Intrepid research vessel transits Antarctic ice lead
Following a massive iceberg calving event, the German research vessel, Polarstern, transited an ice channel on the edge of Antarctica’s Brunt Ice Shelf.
Last weekend, the German research vessel, Polarstern, was able to squeeze herself through a newly formed ice lead, following a major iceberg calving event from the Brunt Ice Shelf. The vessel made the passage in order for scientists to study the newly-revealed seabed communities under the thick ice.
Polarstern was the only research vessel in the are of the calving event in February which created the huge berg named A-74.
When weather permitted, the ship’s crew navigated the narrow channel that had been formed, giving her scientists an unprecedented opportunity to study the new area of seabed. Dramatic images show the vessel surrounded by huge floes of ice and close to the sheer ice cliff of the Brunt Ice shelf.
