New research submarine after Ran got lost under the ice

University of Gothenburg

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A replacement has now been found for the underwater vehicle Ran, which contributed to a wealth of new knowledge about the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, among other things. Ran II will be delivered in just over a year, in the winter of 2026/2027.

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Credit: Filip Stedt

The deal is done for the new underwater vehicle that will replace Ran, the submarine that was lost under a glacier in Antarctica in 2024. A large donation means that researchers at the University of Gothenburg can plan for new expeditions.

The autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Ran contributed to groundbreaking research, education and technological development for six years. The most groundbreaking results were achieved during risky missions under the floating glaciers of Antarctica. It was also during one such mission that Ran was lost in January 2024.

“Thanks to Ran, we became the first researchers in the world to enter under the Thwaites glacier, which in part lies in the sea. Although satellite data shows melting and movement in the ice, we were able to obtain close-up images of the underside of the ice and information about the exact mechanisms behind the melting,” says Anna Wåhlin, professor of oceanography, who led the expedition with Ran in Antarctica.

Generous donation

Thanks to a generous donation from the Voice of the Ocean Foundation (VOTO) and funds from insurance, the University of Gothenburg are able to buy a new AUV from Kongsberg AS, with delivery expected in winter 2026/2027. The new vehicle, named Ran II, will have the same capacity as Ran, but will be equipped with more robust decision support for emergencies and improved navigation. The upgrades will enhance both safety and precision in hard-to-reach environments such as under glaciers, under sea ice and near the seabed.

At the same time, the University of Gothenburg and Voice of the Ocean are initiating a close collaboration that will give researchers the opportunity to use Ran II for studies in nearby areas, such as the Baltic Sea. Through VOTO's Ocean Support initiative, researchers will have access to advanced marine technology, autonomous platforms and high-quality data, which will help accelerate the development of modern marine research.

Leading research

“We are living in a time when the ocean needs our attention more than ever. The investment in Ran II, made possible with joint support from Voice of the Ocean and Eric Douglas, will give researchers access to a platform that can deepen our understanding of changes in the ocean and spread that knowledge further. We look forward to collaborating with the University of Gothenburg and working together to strengthen Swedish research at the forefront of polar science,” says Sanna Thimmig Johansen, CEO of Voice of the Ocean.

When Ran was commissioned in 2018, she was one of only three research AUVs of this type in the world, and the only one in Sweden. For six years, she was used for surveys near the bottom and under the ice in Swedish and international waters. Thanks to her efforts, Sweden is now one of the leading countries in AUV-based polar research and an active player in international method development.

Unique data from Ran

“The data we obtained from Ran's expeditions is unique in the world and of great value to international research. At the same time, there are high risks involved, and we knew that something like this could happen. Personally, I think this is a better end than it gathering dust in a garage,” said Anna Wåhlin when Ran disappeared under the Antarctic ice.

This is a particularly dynamic time for autonomous underwater vehicles. Rapid advances in AI are opening up new tools for interpreting large, high-resolution data sets and for improved navigation and mission planning. The capacity built up in Sweden over the past decade has laid the foundation for strong international cooperation, which can now be further developed through this initiative.

Facts AUV

An AUV, or Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, is programmed to operate without cables or active control, and can make its own decisions based on sensor data from its surroundings. It can reach environments that are inaccessible to ships: under glaciers, under thick sea ice and in parts of the deep sea. The platform carries several sensors that simultaneously measure topography, currents and water properties with high resolution.

Facts Scientific breakthroughs with Ran

In 2019, Swedish researchers conducted the first measurements under the notorious Thwaites Glacier, also known as the Doomsday Glacier, and identified, among other things, inflows of warmer, salt water into the glacier. Ran also collected some of the highest-resolution data ever obtained from the Antarctic continental shelf, enabling studies of processes that were active when the ice retreated about 100 years ago. Using multibeam echo sounders, the underside of the ice has been mapped with high precision, and in 2022 Ran carried out the first full-scale mapping of the underside of a glacier, where previously unknown structures were found. These point to local and/or periodic melting processes deep beneath the ice, a breakthrough that has opened up a new interdisciplinary field of research.

https://www.gu.se/en/news/auv-ran-brings-answers-to-doomsday-glacier-history

https://www.gu.se/en/news/a-whole-new-view-on-glacier-melting-in-antarctica

Facts Voice of the Ocean

Voice of the Ocean envisions a world where the ocean is understood, respected, and protected by all. The Foundation is dedicated to advancing marine research and promoting ocean literacy. By combining the power of storytelling with scientific integrity, Voice of the Ocean aims to spark curiosity, deepen understanding, and inspire meaningful engagement with the ocean.
For more information: www.voiceoftheocean.org

There may be more trips to Antarctica to study the glaciers for polar researcher Anna Wåhlin now that the University of Gothenburg is purchasing a new autonomous underwater vehicle, AUV. The name has been decided: Ran II.

Credit

Olof Lönnehed

Anna Wåhlin, Professor of Oceanography at the University of Gothenburg

Credit

Johan Wingborg

 

Expanding farming capabilities will not close Africa’s ‘hidden hunger’ gaps

Cardiff University

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Researchers combined data on demand, production, and resource constraints, moving beyond calories to nutrients that matter for health across all 54 African countries

‘Hidden hunger’ in Africa cannot be addressed by expanding domestic farming alone, according to a new study from Cardiff University.

The first-of-its-kind assessment, published in Nature Food, moves beyond calories to measure the availability of nutrients that matter for health, across all 54 African countries. 

According to the research, limited land and water supply means most African countries would be unable to close significant gaps in important nutrients like iron, calcium, and zinc through their own food production capabilities.

Countries will instead need to increase agricultural productivity, reduce food loss, and strengthen trade and supply chains to meet people’s nutritional needs, the authors argue.

The international team, led by researchers at Shandong University in China, compared how much food and nutrients people need with how much is produced locally, before assessing whether expanding farming under existing land and water limits could close the gap.

“Most studies on food self-sufficiency focus only on calories, which hides the deeper challenge of micronutrient deficiencies,” explains co-author Dr Pan He from Cardiff University’s School of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

“Malnutrition in Africa is not only about hunger, but also about ‘hidden hunger’ caused by lack of iron, zinc, or vitamins.

“At the same time, expanding agriculture comes at the cost of land and water, which are already under pressure from scarcity and overuse.

“We wanted to understand the true scale of nutrient gaps between national demand and production and whether African countries could realistically close them through domestic production.”

The research team says the findings could help governments, development agencies, and communities working in food security, design food and nutrition strategies to meet the challenges in health, climate resilience, and sustainable farming facing countries in Africa.

The team used data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) to measure gaps for nine key nutrients including protein, iron, calcium, and vitamin A.

They found widespread nutrient gaps across Africa, with all countries deficient in at least one nutrient, notably iron, which was lacking in every country.

The study also reveals only seven out of 54 African countries could meet their nutrient needs within sustainable land and water limits.

Our study reveals important micronutrient gaps in domestic food supply, with iron, calcium, and zinc being the most deficient, contributing to widespread anaemia, malaria, and high infant and child mortality,” explains Lead author Professor Xu Zhao from Shandong University.

“Achieving micronutrient self-sufficiency is more challenging than for macronutrients, as over half of African countries would still fall short due to land constraints, even under optimised production.

“Strengthening agricultural productivity, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, is crucial for enhancing nutrient security.

“Equally important is reducing food loss and waste across the supply chain, which currently diminishes total nutrient availability by 9–15%.”

The team plans to explore how productivity improvements, better supply chains, and innovative solutions like supplements or fortified foods could help bridge the gaps identified in their study.

They also aim to examine regional and household data, to understand inequalities in access within specific countries.

Their paper, ‘National food production cannot address nutrient gap in African countries’, is published in Nature Food.

ENDS

Notes to editors

Paper

An advanced copy of the paper is available on request.

Data

• Data on food production, nutrient composition, and recommended nutrient intake were obtained from publicly available databases, such as those provided by FAO and WHO.
• The nutrient gap investigated in the research compares the magnitude of food ‘ready to be consumed’ after preparation and cooking processes, with that needed by a given population.
• Researchers use recommended intake to represent nutrient demand rather than actual nutrient intake.
• The resource constraints refer to the thresholds for sustainable agricultural land use and water consumption at the national level.
  • The water constraint is defined as 20% of the nation's total runoff.
  • The land constraint for agricultural land use is defined as the potentially available cropland.

Interviews

Interviews with the research team are available on request.

For more information contact: 

Jonathan Rees 

Communications and Marketing  

Cardiff University 

ReesJ37@cardiff.ac.uk  

Cardiff University is recognised in independent government assessments as one of Britain’s leading teaching and research universities and is a member of the Russell Group of the UK’s most research-intensive universities. The 2021 Research Excellence Framework found 90% of the University’s research to be world-leading or internationally excellent. Among its academic staff are two Nobel Laureates, including the winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize for Medicine, Professor Sir Martin Evans. Founded by Royal Charter in 1883, today the University combines impressive modern facilities and a dynamic approach to teaching and research. The University’s breadth of expertise encompasses: the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; the College of Biomedical and Life Sciences; and the College of Physical Sciences and Engineering. Its University institutes bring together academics from a range of disciplines to tackle some of the challenges facing society, the economy, and the environment. More at www.cardiff.ac.uk

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Journal

Nature Food

DOI

10.1038/s43016-025-01246-4 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

National food production cannot address nutrient gap in African countries

Article Publication Date

16-Oct-2025

Climate whiplash effects due to rapidly intensifying El Niño cycles

Institute for Basic Science

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Snapshot of eastern Pacific sea surface temperatures, showing temperature pattern for a typical La Niña event with equatorial cold temperatures and wave-like structure west of the Galapagos Islands simulated by a high-resolution climate model. Blue to red color shading indicates a transition from colder to warmer surface conditions. The amplitude of La Niña and El Niño conditions can intensify in response to global warming, and the succession of these extremes will also become more regular.

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Credit: Institute for Basic Science

A new study published in the journal Nature Communications reveals that the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a key driver of global climate variability, is projected to undergo a dramatic transformation due to greenhouse warming. Using high-resolution climate models (Figure 1), a team of researchers from South Korea, the USA, Germany, and Ireland found that ENSO could intensify rapidly over the coming decades and synchronize with other major climate phenomena, reshaping global temperature and rainfall patterns by the end of the 21st century.

The study projects an abrupt shift within the next 30-40 years from irregular El Niño-La Niña cycles to highly regular oscillations, characterized by amplified sea surface temperature (SST) fluctuations (Figure 2). “In a warmer world, the tropical Pacific can undergo a type of climate tipping point, switching from stable to unstable oscillatory behavior. This is the first time this type of transition has been identified unequivocally in a complex climate model,” says Prof. Malte F. STUECKER, lead author of the study and Director of the International Pacific Research Center at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, USA. “Enhanced air-sea coupling in a warming climate, combined with more variable weather in the tropics, leads to a transition in amplitude and regularity,” he adds.

According to the high-resolution computer model simulations analyzed in the study, the stronger and more regular ENSO cycles are also expected to synchronize with other climate phenomena, including the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), and the Tropical North Atlantic (TNA) mode, similar to how multiple weakly connected pendulums adjust to swinging with the same frequency. “This synchronization will lead to stronger rainfall fluctuations in regions such as Southern California and the Iberian Peninsula, increasing the risk of hydroclimate ‘whiplash’ effects,” says Prof. Axel TIMMERMANN, corresponding author of the study and Director of the IBS Center for Climate Physics at Pusan National University, South Korea. “The increased regularity of ENSO could improve seasonal climate forecasts; however, the amplified impacts will necessitate enhanced planning and adaptation strategies,” he adds.

The research utilized the Alfred Wegener Institute Climate Model (AWI-CM3), with 31 km horizontal resolution in the atmosphere and 4-25 km in the ocean, to simulate climate responses under a high-emission greenhouse gas scenario. Observational data and simulations from other climate models were also analyzed to validate the findings. ​“Our simulation results, which some other climate models support, show that ENSO’s future behavior could become more predictable, but its amplified impacts will pose significant challenges for societies worldwide,” says Dr. Sen ZHAO, co-lead author of the study and researcher at the University of ​Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

The new study in Nature Communications highlights the potential for anthropogenic climate change to fundamentally alter the characteristics of ENSO, and its interactions with other climate processes, even in regions far away from the equatorial Pacific, such as Europe. ​“Our findings underscore the need for global preparedness to address intensified climate variability and its cascading effects on ecosystems, agriculture, and water resources,” ​says Prof. Axel TIMMERMANN.

In the future, the team will explore the underlying global synchronization processes also in other high-resolution climate model simulations, including those with 9 km and 4 km resolution recently conducted at the IBS Center for Climate Physics on the Aleph supercomputer in South Korea.

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Journal

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-025-64619-0 

Method of Research

Computational simulation/modeling

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Global climate mode resonance due to rapidly intensifying El Niño-Southern Oscillation

Article Publication Date

16-Oct-2025