Robot disappears after finding mysterious objects in Antarctica

The autonomous underwater vehicle Ran, which explored the subglacial cavity of the Dotson Ice Shelf in Antarctica, disappeared in February 2024 during a repeat mission. In 2022, the vehicle spent 27 days under the ice, covering over a thousand kilometers, and produced detailed maps of the glacier's underside, revealing unique terraces and depressions. Searches were unsuccessful, and scientists believe the vehicle is permanently lost beneath the glacier.

The orange autonomous underwater vehicle Ran, designed to explore subglacial cavities, disappeared in February 2024 during a repeat mission beneath the Dotson Ice Shelf in West Antarctica. In 2022, the vehicle successfully spent 27 days under the ice, covering over a thousand kilometers and producing six detailed maps of the glacier's underside, totaling about 140 square kilometers. Using a multibeam sonar, scientists discovered terraces ranging from 200 to 2000 meters wide, ledges up to 5 meters high, and teardrop-shaped depressions up to 68 meters wide. The study, published in Science Advances, revealed variations in melting intensity across different parts of the glacier, linked to convection and inflow of warm waters. In 2024, the vehicle failed to return to the rendezvous point; searches using helicopters and acoustic equipment were unsuccessful. Scientists believe Ran is permanently lost beneath the glacier, and the 2022 maps remain the only detailed image of this hidden world. A further 2025 study showed that Dotson's melting from 1979 to 2017 contributed about 0.6 millimeters to sea-level rise.