The Ran submersible navigates icy waters to explore huge glaciers.
Filip Stedt / University of Gothenburg
An uncrewed submersible that belongs to the University of Gothenburg disappeared in Antarctica.The submersible was exploring the Thwaites Glacier to study its potential effects on sea-level rise.Despite search efforts, the submersible has not been found.
A submersible, named Ran, disappeared last month after diving under Antarctica. The 23-foot-long instrument was just one of three scientific submersibles of its kind.
Unlike the Titan submersible, which imploded with five passengers on board upon descent to explore the Titanic wreck, Ran was uncrewed when it mysteriously vanished.
Ran’s disappearance is a tragic loss for climate change research as scientists were using the autonomous machine to study the melting activity of Thwaites Glacier, also known as the “Doomsday Glacier.”
It’s also a loss for the University of Gothenburg, which purchased Ran for 38 million Swedish Krona, about $3.6 million in USD, in 2015, the university reported in a press release.
“This was the second time we took Ran to Thwaites Glacier to document the area under the ice,” Anna Wåhlin, project lead and professor of physical oceanography at the University of Gothenburg, said in the press release.
Investigating the ‘Doomsday Glacier’
Anna Wåhlin, professor of physical oceanography, stands in front of Ran.
Olof Lönnehed / University of Gothenburg
Ran was a rare type of sub that enabled researchers to investigate depths that were previously considered unreachable.
It could dive hundreds of feet underwater to explore the underbellies of glaciers and help scientists study glacial melting due to climate change.
“Even if you see melting and movements in the ice from satellite data, from Ran we get close-ups of the underside of the ice and information about exactly which mechanisms are behind the melting,” Wåhlin said in the press release.
That’s why Wåhlin and her team chose Ran to check out Thwaites Glacier because it’s actively melting.
The Thwaites Glacier is one of the largest in the world and could raise global sea levels significantly if it collapses entirely.
NASA
Thwaites owes its ominous nickname “Doomsday Glacier” in part to its massive size. It’s the widest glacier on Earth, measuring approximately 80 miles across, and its melting currently contributes to about 4% of global sea-level rise.
If it were to collapse entirely, global sea levels would increase by a whopping 25 inches.
Unlike other remotely operated uncrewed underwater vehicles, Ran navigates these depths autonomously. Its route is programmed in advance and it uses a navigation system to find its way back to the surface after completing a dive.
Ran deployed on the surface of freezing Antarctic waters.
Anna Wåhlin/University of Gothenburg
On its most recent mission, Ran was collecting close-up imaging and data of the Thwaites’ underside when the researchers lost contact. It never resurfaced at its pre-programmed return point.
A needle in a haystack
The research team searched for Ran using acoustic search equipment, helicopters, and drones, but all were unsuccessful.
“It’s a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack, but without even knowing where the haystack is,” Wåhlin said in the press release. “At this point, Ran’s batteries are dead. All we know is that something unexpected happened under the ice. We suspect it ran into trouble, and then something prevented it from getting out.”
At this time, all search efforts have been called off, Louise Newman, ship manager for the University of Gothenburg, told Business Insider via email.
A gigantic cavity nearly 1,000 feet tall growing at the bottom of Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica.
NASA/OIB/Jeremy Harbeck
“The Korean vessel IB Aaron has left the region and there is no chance for any further search. Unfortunately, it is gone,” Newman wrote.
The University’s Department of Marine Sciences hopes to eventually replace Ran and continue their expeditions at Thwaites.
“Thanks to Ran, we became the first researchers in the world to enter Thwaites in 2019,” Wåhlin said in her statement adding “The data we receive from Ran is unique in the world, and of great value for international research.”