
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, according to Science Times.
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.