Yesterday, we posted a grim post The Threat from Thwaites, Antarctica’s Riskiest Glacier about the potential collapse of the glacier’s ice shelf within a few years resulting in a rise in global sea levels by several feet.

While researching the post, I came across an old friend who will be playing a significant role in studying the ice shelf. I am referring to the yellow autonomous submarine named Boaty McBoatface.

Back in 2016, the British Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) asked for suggestions for a name for the new polar research ship then under construction at Cammell Laird’s yard in Birkenhead. The overwhelmingly most popular name suggestion was Boaty McBoatface. The NERC, choosing to act like the adult in the room, chose to name the new ship RSS David Attenborough, after the world-renowned naturalist and broadcaster. As a sort of consolation prize, the decided to name one of three autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) Boaty McBoatface.

Now the BBC is reporting that Boaty will be deployed on risky missions beneath the Thwaites ice shelf:

One of the projects for the New Year will see the tubby yellow submarine known as “Boaty McBoatface” dive under Thwaites’ floating ice to gather data on water temperature, current direction and turbulence – all factors that influence melting.

The autonomous vehicle will go on missions lasting one to four days, navigating its own path through the cavity beneath the shelf. This is high risk as the seafloor terrain is extremely rugged.

“It’s scary. We might not get Boaty back,” conceded Dr Alex Phillips from the UK’s National Oceanography Centre.

“We’ve put a lot of effort this past year into developing collision avoidance for the vehicle, to make sure it doesn’t crash into the seabed. We also have contingencies whereby if it does get into trouble, it can retrace its steps and retreat to safety.”