Fiber Optics In Antarctica Will Monitor Ice Sheet Melting

Posted by ryuzaki0 on Tuesday October 21, 2014 @12:06PM from the won't-somebody-think-of-the-penguins dept.

sciencehabit writes: Earth is rapidly being wired with fiber-optic cables — inexpensive, flexible strands of silicon dioxide that have revolutionized telecommunications. They've already crisscrossed the planet's oceans, linking every continent but one: Antarctica. Now, fiber optics has arrived at the continent, but to measure ice sheet temperatures rather than carry telecommunication signals. A team of scientists using an innovative fiber-optic cable–based technology has measured temperature changes within and below the ice over 14 months. This technology, they say, offers a powerful new tool to observe and quantify melting at the base of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.

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Re:WTF, the antarctic gets FO before me? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-10-21 13:56 · Score: 2, Funny

Marking a funny post as funny doesn't get the poster any "points" so many times funny posts get marked informative. That or the average /. moderator is a total idiot.
I'll let you decide what is more likely.