Climate change is causing glaciers to melt at an unprecedented rate
Although tracking this melting is essential to monitor changing sea levels and ocean conditions
However, conducting research on glaciers can be extremely dangerous
Huge icebergs can spontaneously break off, crashing into the surrounding water
making glacier-front measurements risky
But researchers have proposed a potential solution
tuning into bubble noise
Glacier ice contains thousands of tiny air bubbles
As ice along the sea margin melts, the bubbles are released into the ocean
Each released bubble produces a characteristic sound
which can be recorded with underwater microphones
The faster the ice melts, the greater the bubble noise
By carefully analyzing the acoustic properties of this noise
scientists can more safely track planetary changes
O. Glowacki, et al. The Intensity, Directionality, and Statistics of Underwater Noise From Melting Icebergs. (2018) Geophysical Research Letters