Dustin Schroeder: How we look kilometers below the Antarctic ice sheet

How we look kilometers below the Antarctic ice sheet

Antarctica is a vast and dynamic place, but radar technologies -- from World War II-era film to state-of-the-art miniaturized sensors -- are enabling scientists to observe and understand changes beneath the continent's ice in unprecedented detail. Join radio glaciologist Dustin Schroeder on a flight high above Antarctica and see how ice-penetrating radar is helping us learn about future sea level rise -- and what the melting ice will mean for us all.

Predicting future sea level rise hinges on understanding what happens deep below Antarctica’s ice. Scientists use radar—sometimes mounted on vintage World War II planes—to peer through three kilometers of ice, revealing a mysterious world that changes faster than previously thought. New approaches, like using the sun’s radio waves and low-cost custom sensors, promise a revolution in how we observe this remote environment. Unlocking these secrets requires not just cutting-edge tools, but also a new generation of inventive minds working together.