Scientists sail to Greenland to study melting glaciers
Scientists aboard the RRS Sir David Attenborough have set sail to investigate melting Greenland glaciers and their impact on climate.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A team of scientists has set sail from Harwich in Essex on a five-week expedition to Greenland aboard the research ship RRS Sir David Attenborough. Their mission is to investigate how rapidly melting glaciers are affecting ocean currents that help regulate the climate.
The ship, which also carries the famous submersible Boaty McBoatface, is heading to some of the most remote and dramatic landscapes on Earth. The scientists are taking some of the most advanced equipment ever deployed in the Arctic, including new instruments designed to measure fractures and fracture growth in the ice, as well as a vertical take-off drone that will survey the entire glacier front to create digital elevation models.
Glaciologist Oliver Marsh explained the tools: "These tubes are a new type of instrument that we've developed where we drill a hole in the ice and slot them down. And they'll measure fractures and fracture growth as well as positioning and strain rates." The drone will be used to get digital elevation models of the whole ice front.
The expedition is focused on understanding what happens when warming oceans cause Greenland's glaciers to melt and collapse into the sea. Melting glaciers add fresh water to the North Atlantic, which could disrupt the currents that transfer heat to Europe. In the short term, this could change where it rains in the UK and lead to more stormy winters.
"If you melt more ice in Greenland, you get more fresh water into the North Atlantic that can slow down the transfer of heat to Europe," the scientists warned. The consequences could affect farmers, reservoirs, and fish stocks in the North Atlantic. Every measurement collected on this expedition will help build a clearer picture of a warming planet and how changes thousands of miles away could affect weather and climate closer to home.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| Melting glaciers could slow down the transfer of heat to Europe and affect UK weather. | |
| New instruments measure fractures and fracture growth in the ice. | |
| Scientists set sail from Harwich on a five-week expedition to Greenland. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The report focused on the scientific mission and its potential impact on UK weather and livelihoods. It highlighted the advanced equipment being used and included direct quotes from a glaciologist. The tone was informative and concerned, emphasising the local relevance of Arctic changes.
- “These are some of the most remote and dramatic landscapes on Earth but what happens here could have consequences much closer to home.”
- “If you melt more ice in Greenland, you get more fresh water into the North Atlantic that can slow down the transfer of heat to Europe.”
- “That's a real problem if you're a farmer. That's a real problem if you're looking at where our reservoirs are located. That's a real problem if you count on fish stocks in the North Atlantic for your job.”
Broadcast Timeline
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