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The icebreaker Araon is conducting radar research on Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier to understand its movement and contribution to rising sea levels. This data will assist in studying Europa, a moon of Jupiter, ahead of NASA's Europa Clipper mission scheduled for 2030.

The mission will explore Europa's surface for signs of habitability. The radar team, led by Chris Pierce of Montana State University, flew 310 miles over Thwaites, capturing data that reveals the glacier's internal layers and potential geothermal impacts on its melting. These insights are crucial for interpreting future scans of Europa's icy shell.