Featured Image: Cnet.com
Boaty McBoatface is a British research submarine that has recently started making scientific journeys into deep waters. Boaty McBoatface was named by a public competition, which led to its unusual name. On its very first voyage in April of 2017, it recorded temperatures in the ocean that have helped scientists understand the link between Antarctic winds and rising sea temperatures.
The unmanned research submarine collected the vital information on a 112 mile journey underwater through the mountainous, ocean floor region near Antarctica. Along the way, it measured temperature, salinity, and turbulence of the water.
The measurements were then analyzed in relation to surface wind measurements. The analysis led to a better understanding of how strong winds on the ocean surface can cause turbulence at greater depths. The turbulence leads to mixing of the warm and cold waters, which in turn leads to higher ocean water temperatures worldwide.
According to Povl Abrahamsen of the British Antarctic Survey, “This study is a great example of how exciting new technology such as the unmanned submarine ‘Boaty McBoatface’ can be used along with ship-based measurements and cutting-edge ocean models to discover and explain previously unknown processes affecting heat transport within the ocean.”