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full screen The unmanned underwater vehicle Ran that disappeared under a glacier in Antarctica. Press photo. Photo: Olof Lönnehed/University of Gothenburg
Seals are believed to have damaged and caused the unmanned underwater vehicle Rans to disappear under a glacier in Antarctica. The chance of finding the submarine is basically zero.
– I would say that it is probably stuck in ice under the water somewhere, says Louise Newman, director of the unmanned submarine, to P4 Gothenburg.
The vessel, which is owned by the University of Gothenburg and is one of three of its kind in the world, is used for research on glaciers. The underwater vehicle has been used several times in Antarctica, mainly at the Thwaites Glacier or Doomsday Glacier as it is also called.
Ran is seven meters long and has the capacity to perform long missions under ice. When Ran dives under 200-500 meter thick ice, the craft has no contact with the research vessel that collects the data.
The submarine is worth SEK 38 million, but it is mainly the research material that worries Louise Newman.
– The submarine really pushed the boundaries and opened doors for our knowledge of the systems under the shelf ice. The data is impossible for us to obtain in any other way.
FACT
Antarctica
Antarctica consists of both sea and land areas. The land area, which is approximately 14.2 million square kilometers, is covered to 98 percent by thick ice.
The huge ice caps are moving towards the sea at a speed of up to 300 meters per year. When the ice protrudes over the sea and settles in the water, so-called shelf ice is formed.
During the coldest, dark period, the average temperature can be minus 70 degrees. In the warmest month, the temperature rises to an average of around 30 degrees below zero.
Source: The National Encyclopedia
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2024-02-03 07:24:11
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