23-Foot Underwater Vehicle Exploring Doomsday Glacier Disappears Without a Trace

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Luca Galuzzi )
23-Foot Underwater Vehicle Exploring Doomsday Glacier Disappears Without a Trace

An autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) was exploring "Doomsday Glacier" in Antarctica when it went missing. The vehicle was supposed to document the area in Thwaites Glacier when it suddenly disappeared without any trace.

Missing Doomsday Glacier's Unmanned Underwater Vehicle in Antarctica

This past weekend, the 23-foot Swedish unmanned underwater vehicle (AUV) known as Ran vanished while on a trip to examine the Thwaites Glacier. With its technology and sensors enabling it to measure and record the water conditions beneath glacial ice for extended periods, Ran is one of only three vehicles worldwide. It is projected to cost roughly $3.6 million.

"This was the second time we took Ran to Thwaites Glacier to document the area under the ice. Thanks to Ran, we became the first researchers in the world to enter Thwaites in 2019, and during the current expedition, we have visited the same area again. 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," said Anna Wåhlin, a professor of oceanography at the University of Gothenburg and member of the research team, said in a statement.

From 650 to 1,640 feet below the surface, Ran dives beneath glaciers such as Thwaites to conduct research. Typically, Ran has its route preprogrammed and navigates back to the ocean's surface without constantly communicating with the research vessel, the South Korean icebreaker RV/IB Araon, on the surface.

Ran had driven under Thwaites multiple times before, but this time, an issue occurred, and Ran did not surface at the scheduled moment. Drones, acoustic search equipment, and helicopter searches proved fruitless, and Ran is still under the ice.

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RAN Might Not Be Found Ever Again

Wåhlin and her colleagues believed there were slim chances they could find Ran. They were even convinced that they would not be able to revive it.

Ran's batteries are dead right now. All that is known is an unforeseen event beneath the ice. Wåhlin believed that after it encountered difficulties, something stopped it from leaving.

Although the team does not hope to see Ran again, they appreciate the information they have already obtained and the ship's and the expedition management's assistance.

They obtain data from Ran that is unparalleled globally and extremely valuable for cross-border study. The stakes are enormous; they knew this event could happen and understood that Ran's death was imminent. So, the team is ready to move on from it by planning for its next version.

"Personally, I'm of the opinion that this is a better end than having the AUV aging gathering dust in a garage. At the same time, it is, of course, a very big loss. We have had Ran for five years now, and during those five years, we have carried out about ten expeditions, training, development work, and tests," Wåhlin continued. "Our aim is to replace Ran."