According to oceanography expert Anna Valin, the search for the “needle in the haystack” is ongoing, but no one has any idea where it might be. Something unexpected could have happened to the boat.
An unmanned submarine worth £3 million disappeared without a trace while exploring the Doomsday Glacier. This was reported by The Sun.
The authors of the article said that the 7-meter vessel was exploring treacherous icy terrain, but at one point disappeared from the radar. This is one of three rare submarines that took part in the “expedition”.
This is the Ran autonomous underwater vehicle, which is equipped with high-tech sensors and functions that allow it to stay underwater for a long time.
Photo: British Antarctic Survey
Last weekend, the unmanned boat disappeared. One of the scientists who was closely watching him said that something prevented him from getting back.
During the first trip to the ice zone, everything went well. It was back in 2019. The scientists became the first researchers in the world to dive under a glacier, and this device helped them do it. This is necessary in order to get close-up images and find out what is happening under the surface.
Photo: The Sun
It is noteworthy that the Ran vessel is programmed to follow a certain route underwater, after which it must return to a certain location. This time it didn’t happen, and the boat didn’t float.
“It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack, but without knowing where the haystack is. Ran’s batteries are now dead. All we know is that something unexpected happened under the ice. We suspect that it got into trouble and then something prevented it from getting out,” said Anna Valin, an oceanography expert and member of the Ran research team.
Photo: The Sun
The Ran’s battery life is only 36 hours and the research team hopes that they will be able to return the boat, which can be anywhere. For scientists, this type of equipment is vital, as it helps them study harsh and remote conditions in the water.
It also helps to monitor the rising water level, because if the Doomsday Glacier melts and collapses, the world’s ocean level will rise by 61 centimeters. The glacier itself is larger than the US state of Florida and got its name because it is theorized to have a huge impact on sea levels around the world.
Scientists have been trying to learn more about the glacier for many years, so the fact that Ran has not surfaced is a great loss.
