Uploaded November 2012 | Updated September 2026, 8 hours ago

---

Researchers deploy a five-foot-long autonomous submarine beneath an iceberg off the coast of Greenland. Called the Slocum underwater glider, the sub propels itself through water with a single-stroke piston, thereby conserving most of its energy for data collection. Sensors under the port-side wing measure conductivity (to find the salinity of the water), temperature, and depth, sending the data to processors within the sub. By collecting data on how much and how quickly Greenland’s ice is melting, they hope to create a computer model that will simulate and forecast glacial melt—and the future rise in sea levels—around the world.

Read the full story at: discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/the-robo-sub-that-helps-predict-where-the-oceans-headed

—

Credit: Science Nation/National Science Foundation

—

ABOUT DISCOVER:
Discover is your source for science that matters, makes sense and is a lot of fun, too.
Visit us at: discovermagazine.com

FOLLOW US:
Facebook: facebook.com/DiscoverMag
Twitter: twitter.com/DiscoverMag
Instagram: instagram.com/discover.magazine

SUPPORT US:
Subscribe to Discover: bit.ly/34seAFT
Sign up for our newsletter: discovermagazine.com/newsletter-signup
My Science Shop: myscienceshop.com

STAY CURIOUS!