Arctic Trials Begin for Ice-Monitoring Drones

Quick Summary

• A team of scientists and engineers will travel to Greenland next month to test high-speed drones for ice sheet monitoring in the Arctic.
• These drones could offer a cost-effective surveillance system, perhaps transforming how ice sheets are monitored.
• Current methods rely on satellite imagery and manned flights; researchers believe drones can provide more accurate, near real-time data.
• The monitoring effort focuses on the rapidly melting Greenland ice sheet, which poses significant environmental impacts.

Image: Ilulissat Icefjord in Greenland, where the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier terminates (Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty).