Researchers deployed an unmanned submarine named ‘Ran’ beneath thick Antarctic ice, capturing detailed maps of a glacier’s underside for the first time. The mission, part of the TARSAN project, revealed vital clues about future sea level rise and challenged previous scientific assumptions.
The submersible, named ‘Ran,’ traveled over 1,000 kilometers under the glacier and reached 17 kilometers into an ice shelf cavity in West Antarctica. This was the first time a submarine had mapped the underside of a glacier, providing high-resolution images that resembled seeing the back of the moon.
The Dotson Ice Shelf, a significant player in sea level rise discussions, was the focus of Ran’s recent mission. The team discovered that the underwater landscape was not as smooth as expected, with features resembling peaks, valleys, and sand dunes. These irregularities may have been sculpted by flowing water under the influence of Earth’s rotation.
This unexpected discovery has sparked new questions about glacier melting mechanisms and challenged existing models. The data collected will significantly help ice modelers reduce uncertainties in future sea level predictions. However, ongoing research is needed to understand the changes taking place, as existing models cannot explain the complex patterns discovered.
The team plans to repeat the survey in January 2024, eager to document any changes. Despite a single completed dive before ‘Ran’ disappeared under the ice, the researchers remain optimistic and hopeful of continuing this crucial research.
Source: https://www.earth.com/news/antarctica-ice-shapes-never-seen-by-humans-dotson-ice-shelf-ran-submersible