The cracking, melting expanse of ice in the Arctic tells a story that scientists must understand to adapt to our warming planet. With new drone technology, they have a new way to monitor it.
Scientists will test their high-speed drones in Greenland in May to see if the technology can effectively provide crucial data about melting ice sheets, New Scientist reported.
What's happening?
According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, Greenland's ice sheets are an important source of measurements for Earth's changing climate.
In 2023, 80 gigatons of Greenland's ice sheet melted, according to the United Nations, citing the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland. NASA describes 1 gigatonne (about 1.1 gigatons) as the weight of 10,000 fully loaded aircraft carriers.
Marble, the company responsible for inventing the drone, is partnering with researchers at the University of Bergen on a project supported by £2 million (more than $2.6 million) from the United Kingdom's Advanced Research and Invention Agency.
The drones must be tested because the Arctic is a harsh environment. However, if they work, scientists can receive detailed, frequent images of the ice-covered landscape.
Current technology is not effective enough to provide the data that scientists need to properly keep an eye on the ice's thickness.
As Kerim Nisancioglu of the University of Bergen told New Scientist, "Now we'll be able to continuously monitor."
Why are Greenland's ice sheets important?
The ice in Greenland and the rate at which it melts are important for predicting various elements of our changing climate.
Understanding Greenland's ice melt is crucial for forecasting sea level rise. According to New Scientist, losing all the ice in Greenland would cause the oceans to rise by over 7 meters, or around 23 feet.
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Never 👎 While this ice likely wouldn't melt all at once, the melting indicates a larger pattern. This pattern also fuels stronger, less predictable weather events. From heat waves and wildfires to hurricanes and floods, extreme weather has always existed. However, scientists agree that these events have been supercharged by climate change.
This makes them even more dangerous to our communities. Climate.gov estimates that 2024's extreme weather included 27 events that cost $1 billion or more, and these events led to at least 568 deaths.
What's being done about melting Arctic ice?
Many organizations are working hard to monitor and mitigate the impacts of our warming planet. The Advanced Research and Invention Agency, which backs this drone project, is putting £81 million (more than $107 million) toward projects that monitor climate tipping points.
We can all play a part in reducing reliance on dirty energy sources that trap heat in the atmosphere.
One option is swapping gas-powered tools for electric ones. We can also move to renewable energy such as wind or solar panels whenever possible.
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