A Submarine Found Something Strange On The Ocean Floor - Then It Disappeared

Key Points:

• In 2022, an autonomous underwater vehicle named Ran explored the cavity beneath West Antarctica's Dotson Ice Shelf, revealing unexpected ice formations such as terraces, channels, grooves, and teardrop-shaped pits not visible from satellites.
• Ran's mission provided new insights into how the ice shelf melts unevenly due to the influence of the Circumpolar Deep Water current, which varies in speed and temperature, causing different melting patterns on the ice's underside.
• The ice shelf acts as a crucial "doorstop" holding back glaciers on land; as it thins and weakens, glaciers slide into the ocean, contributing to global sea level rise and increased flooding risks worldwide.
• In early 2024, Ran disappeared during a follow-up mission to study ice movement, with no signals or debris found despite extensive search efforts, likely due to mechanical failure or environmental hazards in the deep sea.
• The detailed maps and data collected by Ran before its loss are valuable for improving predictions about Antarctic ice shelf behavior and future sea level changes, as published in Science Advances.