{"id":19502,"date":"2025-06-27T16:29:11","date_gmt":"2025-06-27T16:29:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/19502\/"},"modified":"2025-06-27T16:29:11","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T16:29:11","slug":"submersible-finds-secret-structures-vanishes-under-antarctic-waters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/19502\/","title":{"rendered":"Submersible Finds Secret Structures, Vanishes Under Antarctic Waters"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul data-node-id=\"0\" class=\"css-1wk73g0 emevuu60\">\n<li data-node-id=\"0.0\">In 2022, an international team of scientists sent a 20-foot-long autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) named \u201cRan\u201d to traverse the never-explored region beneath the Dotson Ice Shelf in West Antarctica. <\/li>\n<li data-node-id=\"0.1\">The resulting study revealed the complicated dynamics that are leading to the faster melting rates between the ice shelf\u2019s western and eastern portions. <\/li>\n<li data-node-id=\"0.2\">After returning to the area in 2024 to catalog changes to the ice shelf, \u201cRan\u201d became lost beneath the icy waves\u2014a huge setback for the exploration of this critically important, climate change-stressed area.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"2\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">When figuring out a solution, it helps to approach a problem from every possible angle. The same can be said for climate change-induced ice melt in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/science\/environment\/a26043814\/mile-long-hole-antarctic-ice\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/science\/environment\/a26043814\/mile-long-hole-antarctic-ice\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Antarctic\" data-node-id=\"2.1\" class=\"body-link css-1kk1geb emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">Antarctic<\/a>, which is why the  International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC) programmed an automated underwater vehicle (AUV)\u2014nicknamed \u201cRan\u201d\u2014to dive into the cavity of the Dotson Ice Shelf, located near Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica. <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"3\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">Over the course of 27 days, the submarine traveled more than 600 miles\u2014including 10 miles directly into the cavity itself\u2014to both figure out the mechanics of how glaciers melt faster near strong underwater currents and glimpse the topography of this all-important ice shelf. What the experts behind this submersible found is that the attributes along the western part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/science\/environment\/a18697409\/ross-ice-shelf-melting\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/science\/environment\/a18697409\/ross-ice-shelf-melting\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"ice shelf\" data-node-id=\"3.1\" class=\"body-link css-1kk1geb emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">ice shelf<\/a> differ greatly with the eastern portion, which is thicker and therefore melting more slowly.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"a close up of a person\" title=\"a close up of a person\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"767\" height=\"466\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ran-2-66b02442cddee.jpeg\" class=\"css-0 e1g79fud0\"\/>Filip Stedt\/University of Gothenburg<\/p>\n<p>A visualization of the tear-shaped areas underneath the Dotson Ice Shelf. <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"5\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">The Ran AUV also produced high resolution <a href=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/science\/archaeology\/a32832512\/history-of-maps\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/science\/archaeology\/a32832512\/history-of-maps\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"maps\" data-node-id=\"5.1\" class=\"body-link css-1kk1geb emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">maps<\/a> of the underside of the Dotson Ice Shelf that revealed strange tear-drop features, icy plateaus, and detailed erosion patterns. The results of the study were published last week <a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.adn9188\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.adn9188\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"in the journal Science Advances\" data-node-id=\"5.3\" class=\"body-link css-1kk1geb emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">in the journal Science Advances<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"9\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">\u201cWe have previously used satellite data and ice cores to observe how glaciers change over time,\u201d Anna W\u00e5hlin, the lead author of the study, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gu.se\/en\/news\/a-whole-new-view-on-glacier-melting-in-antarctica\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.gu.se\/en\/news\/a-whole-new-view-on-glacier-melting-in-antarctica\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"said in a press statement\" data-node-id=\"9.1\" class=\"body-link css-1kk1geb emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">said in a press statement<\/a>. \u201cBy navigating the submersible into the cavity, we were able to get high resolution maps of the ice underside. It\u2019s a bit like seeing the back of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/space\/moon-mars\/a61601673\/scientist-found-lava-tubes-on-the-moon\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/space\/moon-mars\/a61601673\/scientist-found-lava-tubes-on-the-moon\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Moon\" data-node-id=\"9.3\" class=\"body-link css-1kk1geb emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">Moon<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"10\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">Unlike glaciers, which rest on land, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ucdavis.edu\/climate\/definitions\/difference-between-glacier-and-ice-shelf#:~:text=What&#039;s%20the%20Difference%20Between%20a,technically%20part%20of%20the%20ocean.\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.ucdavis.edu\/climate\/definitions\/difference-between-glacier-and-ice-shelf#:~:text=What&#039;s%20the%20Difference%20Between%20a,technically%20part%20of%20the%20ocean.\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"ice shelves are actually a part of the ocean\" data-node-id=\"10.1\" class=\"body-link css-1kk1geb emevuu60\">ice shelves are actually a part of the ocean<\/a>. They sort of act like a buttress that keeps ice on land from flowing into the ocean and raising sea levels, and are are vitally important to these polar <a href=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/science\/animals\/a44784168\/new-ecosystem-under-ocean-floor\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/science\/animals\/a44784168\/new-ecosystem-under-ocean-floor\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"ecosystem\" data-node-id=\"10.3\" class=\"body-link css-1kk1geb emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">ecosystem<\/a> as a result. And because these shelves rest on the ocean, it\u2019s possible to get under them.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"11\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">But just because it\u2019s possible doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"diagram\" title=\"diagram\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2100\" height=\"945\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/the-dive-under-dotson-300dpi-illustration-66b023aed2944.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1g79fud0\"\/>Anna W\u00e5hlin\/Science Advances<\/p>\n<p>A mission overview of the Ran AUV.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"13\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">The 20-foot-long Ran submersible used pulsed sound waves (advanced multibeam sonar) on the ice to map its features, but because of its subantarctic location, W\u00e5hlin and her team couldn\u2019t communicate with the AUV or track its movements with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/science\/environment\/a22125\/australia-gps\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/science\/environment\/a22125\/australia-gps\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"GPS\" data-node-id=\"13.1\" class=\"body-link css-1kk1geb emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">GPS<\/a>. After 14 missions\u2014some lasting a couple hours and others stretching longer than a day\u2014Ran mapped around 50 square miles of ice, and the structures imaged were more complex than anyone imagined. <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"14\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">\u201cThe mapping has given us a lot of new data that we need to look at more closely,\u201d W\u00e5hlin said in a press statement. \u201cIt is clear that many previous assumptions about melting of glacier undersides are falling short. Current <a href=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/space\/deep-space\/a61007855\/anti-universe-expansion\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/space\/deep-space\/a61007855\/anti-universe-expansion\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"models\" data-node-id=\"14.1\" class=\"body-link css-1kk1geb emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">models<\/a> cannot explain the complex patterns we see. But with this method, we have a better chance of finding the answers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"17\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">One of the team\u2019s discoveries is that the different melt rates between east and west portions of the Dotson Ice Shelf could be explained by a phenomenon known as the modified Circumpolar Deep Water (mCDW), which is when Pacific and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/science\/environment\/a25014\/new-lost-continent-mauritia\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/science\/environment\/a25014\/new-lost-continent-mauritia\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Indian Ocean\" data-node-id=\"17.1\" class=\"body-link css-1kk1geb emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">Indian Ocean<\/a> water mix with other local water masses that impact the ice base. This data was supplemented by Ran\u2019s measurements of these underwater currents, as well as the high melting rates of fractures that run through the glacier. <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"18\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">Although the team\u2019s initial mission was to study the nearby Thwaites glacier, the environment proved too difficult to access. The Dotson Ice Shelf, however, served as the perfect candidate to test the equipment and methods, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/07\/31\/climate\/antarctic-glacier-underside.html\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/07\/31\/climate\/antarctic-glacier-underside.html\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"according to The New York Times\" data-vars-ga-product-id=\"43a2067f-deff-483b-b8d9-d908defe2832\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-node-id=\"18.1\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/07\/31\/climate\/antarctic-glacier-underside.html\" data-product-url=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/07\/31\/climate\/antarctic-glacier-underside.html\" data-affiliate=\"false\" data-affiliate-network=\"\" data-vars-ga-product-price=\"$0.00\" data-vars-ga-product-retailer-id=\"601981f7-c5ac-469e-8d0a-f3d5fb26e5f6\" data-vars-ga-link-treatment=\"(not set) | (not set)\" class=\"body-link product-links css-1kk1geb e1aq0z090\" data->according to The New York Times<\/a>. These surveys were conducted in 2022, and  the team returned earlier this year to see what changes to the ice shelf had occurred. That\u2019s when W\u00e5hlin and her team\u2019s worst fears were realized\u2014Ran <a href=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/science\/environment\/a46694587\/thwaites-glacier-submersible-missing\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/science\/environment\/a46694587\/thwaites-glacier-submersible-missing\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"didn\u2019t emerge at the pre-planned rendezvous point\" data-node-id=\"18.3\" class=\"body-link css-1kk1geb emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">didn\u2019t emerge at the pre-planned rendezvous point<\/a>. The team suspects that the AUV either ran aground or became the target of some curious seals. <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"19\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">\u201cAlthough we got valuable data back, we did not get all we had hoped for. These scientific advances were made possible thanks to the unique <a href=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/science\/environment\/a46694587\/thwaites-glacier-submersible-missing\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/science\/environment\/a46694587\/thwaites-glacier-submersible-missing\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"submersible\" data-node-id=\"19.1\" class=\"body-link css-1kk1geb emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">submersible<\/a> that Ran was,\u201d W\u00e5hlin said in a press statement. \u201cThis research is needed to understand the future of Antarctica\u2019s ice sheet, and we hope to be able to replace Ran and continue this important work.\u201d<br data-node-id=\"19.3\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Exclusive Pop Mech How-To Guides<img decoding=\"async\" data-dynamic-svg=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/_assets\/design-tokens\/fre\/static\/icons\/arrow-left-regular.dc4f48a.svg?primary=%2523D4D4D4\" loading=\"lazy\" data-testid=\"dynamic-svg-base\" height=\"auto\" width=\"auto\" aria-label=\"Prev carousel button\" alt=\"Chevron Left Icon\" data-theme-key=\"icon-button-icon\" class=\"css-18znc9e ev3kbku0\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" data-dynamic-svg=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/_assets\/design-tokens\/fre\/static\/icons\/arrow-right-regular.e879c19.svg?primary=%2523fff\" loading=\"lazy\" data-testid=\"dynamic-svg-base\" height=\"auto\" width=\"auto\" aria-label=\"Next carousel button\" alt=\"Chevron Right Icon\" data-theme-key=\"icon-button-icon\" class=\"css-18znc9e ev3kbku0\"\/><img src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/e9b7a87b-359a-4fff-859b-ab9cf5e31c5b_1565789938.file\" alt=\"Headshot of Darren Orf\" title=\"Headshot of Darren Orf\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"css-o0wq4v ev8dhu53\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Darren lives in Portland, has a cat, and writes\/edits about sci-fi and how our world works. You can find his previous stuff at Gizmodo and Paste if you look hard enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In 2022, an international team of scientists sent a 20-foot-long autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) named \u201cRan\u201d to traverse&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":19503,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[16758,746,50,159,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-19502","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-core","9":"tag-environment","10":"tag-news","11":"tag-science","12":"tag-united-states","13":"tag-unitedstates","14":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114756279708179601","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19502","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19502"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19502\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19503"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19502"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19502"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19502"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}