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 Ran autonomous submersible is pre-programmed and then dives under the glaciers of Antarctica to carry out long research trips. Image: Anna Wahlin
Ran, an important glacier research submersible, has gone missing. ScienceDaily reported on February 4. Ran is equipped with modern sensors and technology that can measure and record the underwater environment. It can carry out extended missions under the 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 taken Ran to Thwaites Glacier to study the subglacial area. Thanks to Ran, we became the first researchers in the world to enter Thwaites in 2019. On the new expedition, we visited the area again. While we have seen melting and displacement of ice from satellite data, with Ran we will obtain close-up images of the area beneath the ice and information about the exact mechanism 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 melts completely. Therefore, Ran's data received a lot of attention, not only among scientists studying polar regions.
During the dive under 200 - 500 m thick ice, Ran did not continuously communicate with the research ship RV/IB Araon. The route is pre-programmed and thanks to the advanced navigation system, Ran can find her way back to open water.
In January, Ran completed several dives under the Thwaites Glacier, but on the last planned dive, the incident occurred. After a long journey under the ice, it did not appear at the previous rendezvous point. The RV/IB Araon canceled its return journey and experts organized many searches using sound equipment, helicopters, and drones, but all were unsuccessful.
“This is almost like looking for a needle in a haystack, without even knowing where the bottom of the haystack is. At this point, Ran's battery was exhausted. All we know is that something unusual happened under the ice. We thought the submersible had trouble, then something prevented it from escaping," Anna Wahlin said.
“The data we receive from Ran is unique in the world and has great value for international research. At the same time, the risks are also huge. We knew such an incident could happen, it could be the end for Ran. Personally, I think it's better than letting the submersible 'age' and collect dust in storage. Of course, this is still a huge loss. We deployed Ran for 5 years and in those 5 years we did 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 (Follow ScienceDaily)
