Autonomous submersible mysteriously disappears under Antarctic glacier

Ran, a 7-meter-long autonomous submersible of the University of Gothenburg, disappeared last weekend during an expedition with the South Korean icebreaker RV/IB Araon.

The autonomous submersible Ran is pre-programmed, then dives under the glaciers of Antarctica for long research trips. Photo: Anna Wahlin — The autonomous submersible Ran is pre-programmed, then dives under the glaciers of Antarctica for long research trips. Photo: *Anna Wahlin*

Ran, a key glacier research submersible, has gone missing, SciTechDaily reported on February 4. Ran is equipped with sensors and advanced technology that can measure and record the underwater environment. It can carry out long-term missions under ice, and has so far operated successfully in Antarctica and elsewhere. The project is led by Professor Anna Wahlin at the University of Gothenburg.

"This is the second time we have brought Ran to the Thwaites glacier to study the subglacial area. With Ran, we became the first researchers in the world to enter Thwaites in 2019. On the new expedition, we are visiting the area again. Although we have seen the melting and movement of the ice from satellite data, with Ran we will get close-up images of the subglacial area and information about the exact mechanisms behind the melting," said Anna Wahlin.

The Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica is so large, it is sometimes called the Doomsday Glacier because it has the potential to raise global sea levels by several meters if it were to melt completely, so Ran's data is of great interest, not just to polar scientists .

During the dive under the 200-500 m thick ice, Ran had no continuous communication with the research vessel RV/IB Araon. The route was pre-programmed and thanks to the advanced navigation system, Ran was able to find his way back to open water.

In January, Ran completed several dives under the Thwaites glacier, but on the last planned dive, something went wrong. After a long journey under the ice, it failed to appear at the rendezvous point. The RV/IB Araon aborted its return trip and experts organized several searches using acoustic equipment, helicopters, and drones, but all were unsuccessful.

"It's almost like looking for a needle in a haystack, without even knowing where the bottom of the tank is. At this point, Ran's battery was dead. All we know is that something unusual happened under the ice. We think the submersible had a problem, then something prevented it from escaping," said Anna Wahlin.

"The data we receive from Ran is unique in the world and is of great value for international research. At the same time, the risks are also great. We knew that such an incident could happen, that it could be the end of Ran. Personally, I think it is better than letting the submersible 'age' and collect dust in storage. Of course, this is still a huge loss. We deployed Ran for five years and in those five years, we carried out about 10 expeditions, training, development and testing," said Anna Wahlin. The team plans to find a way to replace Ran in the future.

Thu Thao (According to SciTechDaily )

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