Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are commonly known as drones.
Recent years have seen increased use of drones in polar science, to collect data on the Earth’s ice in remote or dangerous areas, which would be difficult or impossible on foot.
Drones can also be used to complement or corroborate satellite data in areas that need more detailed consideration, for instance the edge of an ice sheet or glacier, or over rapidly evolving areas of sea ice.
A seasoned multi-tasker!
In 2024 CPOM PhD Researchers used drones, while studying glaciers in Iceland.
They used a drone to take physical samples of water from proglacial lakes (lakes which form at the terminus of a glacier), to take optical images of the lakes and icebergs within them, as well as using the drone’s LiDAR sensors to capture ice elevation data which they could then compare with satellite data.
Credit: Professor Andrew Shepherd.
You can read more about their research on the ESA website and watch a video about their fieldwork.
Enhancing the science while cutting emissions
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) use of Windracers ULTRA autonomous drones in Antarctica is an example of where UAVs are being used to enhance understanding of the cryosphere while reducing CO2 emissions per flight hour by approximately 90%.
The Windracer UAV does not require pilots or crew and can fly at altitudes of 1000 km with 100kg of sensors and equipment. It was employed for BAS research focusing on remote areas of West Antarctica looking at how the land there first formed. You can read their recent research here in the Journal of Physical Research.
Read this BAS article about using Windracer Drones in Antarctica for more information.