00:03As our planet continues to warm, giant masses of ice continue to break off of the polar ice caps in
00:09the form of giant icebergs.
00:10Now, the European Space Agency has developed a new GPS satellite tracking system, complete with an AI neural network,
00:16all in the name of keeping track of these giant floating icebergs.
00:19This is Dr. Bablu Sina, an oceanographer, to explain why tracking these calved icebergs is so important.
00:25So, one of the big concerns about the ice sheets is that there could be some runaway effects.
00:32So, as calving of ice sheets increases in frequency, then that in itself could create an acceleration of the ice
00:42sheet melt and further calving.
00:45That's the more existential concern, where they say tracking in real time these calving events would allow us to more
00:50easily see the point of no return with regards to the global climate crisis.
00:53But there are also other concerns as well. Concerns regarding sea transit and communications around the world.
00:59It's important to track icebergs in real time. A lot of that's for operational reasons.
01:07So, it affects shipping. It can be a danger to shipping.
01:11There are other hazards, such as the icebergs can often scrape the bottom, actually, in coastal regions.
01:18And our submarine cables, our communication lines, are often dependent on subsea cables.
01:24Meanwhile, oceanographers also warn about the effects those icebergs have on the ecosystems into which they float,
01:30melting and cooling large areas of ocean where they reside, and leaving a massive influx of fresh water in their
01:36wake.
01:36With the experts saying the better we can track this, the better prepared we may be to handle the fallout.
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