Six Months Ago, an Autonomous Submarine Disappeared in Antarctic Waters. Now We Know What It Saw Before It Sank

A few months ago, the University of Gothenburg in Sweden announced some sad news: It had just lost an uncrewed submarine called Ran for which it had paid about $3.7 million. However, the Ran submarine hasn’t disappeared in vain because its data is helping researchers better understand what lies behind the “Doomsday Glacier.”

A new perspective. The team that operated the Ran submarine when it disappeared under the Arctic ice in January this year recently published its investigation in Science Advances. The study reveals essential aspects of the hidden side of Thwaites Glacier, the underwater flank.

“Doomsday Glacier.” Thwaites Glacier is one of the most important glaciers in the world, particularly in terms of volume. The International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration estimates that the almost 116,000 mi3 in this ice mass would be enough to raise sea levels by more than two feet if it disappears. Hence its apocalyptic name.

Thwaites isn’t an ordinary glacier for another reason: its location. Unlike many other glaciers, it isn’t on land. Its ice extends above the ocean surface, forming an ice tongue or shelf. Under this platform, ocean water mixes with the water of the glacier itself, creating a dynamic of particular interest to those who study this ice mass.

27 days of operation. Before disappearing beneath the Antarctic ice, Ran operated for almost a month under the Dotson Ice Shelf, which is connected to this glacier. It traveled over 620 miles and around 10 miles into the cavity beneath this shelf.

Now, researchers finally have the data Ran collected before its untimely demise.

Results of all kinds. As the team explains, some of these results are what they expected. For example, according to data, the stronger underwater currents caused erosion on the ice sheet and, thus, more melting. This finding allowed the researchers to explain why the western side of the Dobson Shelf is melting faster.

The hidden face of ice. The study is one of many that have examined this icy colossus. But the University of Gothenburg has managed to get into previously impossible places. Until now, the study of this ice mass has relied on satellite measurements or ice coring of the glacier, professor and lead author Anna Wåhlin said.

“We have previously used satellite data and ice cores to observe how glaciers change over time. By navigating the submersible into the cavity, we were able to get high-resolution maps of the ice underside. It’s a bit like seeing the back of the moon,” Wåhlin stated in a press release.

This article was written by Pablo Martínez-Juarez and originally published in Spanish on Xataka.

Image | Filip Stedt, Anna Wåhlin

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