Melting of the Ross Ice Shelf meant the Polar Star could sail into newly navigable waters.
ByShown is the edge of the ice shelf in the southernmost navigable water from the crows nest of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star on Feb. 17, 2022.
The nearly 400-foot U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker reached a position of 78 degrees, 44 minutes, 1.32 seconds south latitude off the coast of Antarctica. That’s about 500 yards from the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf, beating out the current Guinness world record holder for the southernmost point reached by a ship, according to a Coast Guard statement.
During Polar Star’s transit, it surveyed nearly 400 nautical miles of the ice shelf, providing information that can be used by other ships in the future.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more: