[Tyler]

Robots Monitor the Melting Arctic
     


Earlier this year NOAA warned
that increased global warming
was combining with natural variability in the
Arctic and could result in an ice-free Arctic in as little as 30 years,
rather than the end of the century as predict by earlier models. This
has created a sense of urgency among organizations studying the changes.
NOAA
and NASA have combined forces with Northrop Grumman to create a
specially modified Global Hawk UAV that will make 6 long duration
missions over the Arctic and the Pacific ocean to collect data in
troposphere and lower stratosphere. The Global Hawk is an autonomous
robot that can stay aloft for 31 hours at altitudes up to 65,000 feet.
NASA is also using a UAVSAR
(Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar) to create highly
detailed Arctic ice maps:
Using these data, scientists would also be able to measure
the speed, direction and topographic height of ice caps whose
sub-glacial bedrock topography is already mapped – thereby providing
critical information that can be used to improve models of glacier
mechanics.

Meanwhile, Seaglider
robots have been deployed off Greenland to make more accurate
measurements of Arctic sea currents. Scientist believe the Arctic runoff
is already altering the density of sea water in the Labrador Sea,
driving critical ocean circulation that affects the global climate. We
mentioned last month that another seaglider project
has resulted in a new understanding of ocean circulation that should
significantly improve the accuracy of climate models. Canada
is also deploying two AUVs to scan the seabed to further their
claims in the coming UN Convention that will determine which nations get
sovereign rights to the new ocean areas forming as the Arctic melts.
   

http://robots.net/article/2872.html