Weddell Sea Expedition 2019

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Weddell Sea Expedition 2019
DateJanuary 3 – February 20, 2019 (2019-01-03 – 2019-02-20)
Duration49 days
Location Weddell Sea, Antarctica
TypeExpedition
Participants
Website weddellseaexpedition.org

The Weddell Sea Expedition 2019 was a 49 day expedition to the Weddell Sea, in Antarctica, that sought to study the glaciology and biology at and near the Larsen C ice shelf. [1] [2] [3] It was the first expedition to investigate the area that Iceberg A-68 broke away from in July 2017. [4]

In addition to the scientific objectives, the expedition was active in the region where Ernest Shackleton's ship, the Endurance , sank in 1915. Expedition Chief Scientist, Professor Julian Dowdeswell commented, "if we are that close to one of the most iconic vessels in polar exploration, we have got to go and look for it." [4] Although the team deployed an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to search for the wreck, it lost communication with the device beneath the ice and was forced to abandon the search. The wreck of the Endurance remained undiscovered until 2022, when a follow-up expedition, Endurance22, successfully located it in remarkably preserved condition at a depth of over 3,000 meters. [5]

Subsequent analysis has shown that sea-ice conditions in 2019 were unusually thick and mobile, complicating under-ice operations, while favorable ice conditions in 2022 were a key factor in the wreck’s discovery. The 2019 expedition nonetheless laid important groundwork for the success of Endurance22, and contributed to growing scientific understanding of rapid changes in the Weddell Sea region, including declining Antarctic Bottom Water formation and shifting sea-ice dynamics. [6]

References

  1. ↑ Amos, Jonathan (10 April 2018). "Expedition hopes for Shackleton bonus". BBC News. BBC . Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  2. ↑ "Scientists to scour seafloor for Shackleton's doomed ship 'Endurance'". NBC News. NBC News . Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  3. ↑ "Scientists launch expedition to recover Shackleton's lost Antarctic ship". The Independent . 10 April 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Expedition sets out to map Larsen C ice shelf". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  5. ↑ AlexW (9 March 2022). "Endurance is Found". Endurance22. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  6. ↑ Joshi, Mansi. "Seasonal and Interannual Variations in Sea Ice Thickness in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica (2019–2022) Using ICESat-2". MDPI.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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