As of: February 2, 2024, 2:06 p.m
By: Tanja Banner
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Researcher Anna Wåhlin stands in front of the unmanned research vehicle “Ran”, which is now lost under the “doomsday glacier” Thwaites.
(Archive image) © Olof Lönnehed
The underwater vehicle “Ran” disappeared after a dive beneath the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica.
A loss that hits science hard.
Antarctica – The Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, also known as the “Doomsday Glacier,” is notorious for its enormous size and the potential risk it poses.
If it melts completely, experts estimate that sea levels could rise by around 65 centimeters.
Covering 192,000 square kilometers, comparable to the size of Florida, the Thwaites Glacier, along with the Pine Island Glacier, keeps the West Antarctic Ice Sheet from flowing into the sea.
Surname: |
Ran |
|---|---|
Type: |
autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) |
Length: |
7.5 meters |
Weight: |
1850 kilograms |
Speed: |
1-7 knots (1-13 km/h) |
Maximum diving depth: |
3000 meters |
Maximum diving length: |
300 kilometers |
Maximum diving time: |
36 hours |
Source: University of Gothenburg |
Unmanned underwater vehicle disappeared under the “Doomsday Glacier”.
As climate change and oceans warm, the glacier is being studied by scientists who want to find out what is happening to the massive ice.
However, an expensive piece of research equipment was lost during this research work in Antarctica: the unmanned underwater vehicle “Ran” did not surface after diving under the glacier.
According to the university, the seven and a half meter long diving device, which belongs to the University of Gothenburg, is equipped with the latest technology and sensors that can record and document the underwater environment.
“Ran” can stay under water for long periods of time, as Anna Wåhlin, the leader of the project during which the device disappeared, explains: “This was the second time we took “Ran” to the Thwaites Glacier to explore the area “to document under the ice.”
Research device “Ran” was able to look under glaciers
“Thanks to 'Ran', we were the first researchers in the world to enter the Thwaites Glacier in 2019, and during the current expedition we visited the same area again,” adds Wåhlin.
The conditions beneath a glacier are often completely unknown.
"Even though you can see the melting and movements in the ice using satellite data, with 'Ran' we get close-ups of the underside of the ice and information about exactly what mechanisms are behind the melting," the researcher said in a statement.
Wåhlin and her research team were aboard the South Korean icebreaker RV/IV Araon.
Before each dive, the device is programmed a route, so it does not remain in constant contact with the research vessel.
With the help of a navigation system, “Ran” finds his way back into the open water.
However, this did not work on the last planned dive in January; “Ran” did not appear at the programmed location.
Both an acoustic search and a search with helicopters and drones were unsuccessful.
Researcher in Antarctica: “Something unexpected happened under the ice”
“It’s a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack without knowing where the haystack is,” says Wåhlin.
“At this point, 'Ran's' batteries are dead.
All we know is that something unexpected happened under the ice.
We suspect he got into trouble and then couldn't get out," she suspects.
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The unmanned underwater vehicle “Ran” has gone missing beneath the “doomsday glacier” Thwaites in Antarctica.
(Archive image) © Anna Wåhlin
The research team was aware that something could happen on any dive and that there was a lot at stake.
Nevertheless, it is worth the risk, as Wåhlin emphasizes: “The data we receive from Ran is unique in the world and of great value for international research.” The loss of “Ran” is a serious blow.
“We have had 'Ran' for five years now and in these five years we have carried out around ten expeditions, training, development work and tests,” says the researcher.
Underwater vehicle “Ran” cost more than 3 million euros
The underwater vehicle “Ran” was purchased in 2015 for 38 million Swedish crowns (about 3.37 million euros) by a foundation for the University of Gothenburg.
“Our goal is to replace 'Ran'.
We will look for a financier,” said Wåhlin.
“Even if the device is lost, the knowledge and well-trained personnel in the organization remain.”
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