IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - March 2023 - 78

of research-oriented UAVs are the Titan Bumblebee UAV,
which is used to examine air-surface boundary layer heat
fluxes [49]; HyperUAS, which collects ultrahigh-spatialresolution
images and spectroscopic data for monitoring
Antarctic mosses [61]; PW-ZOOM, a tiny drone used in
penguin population monitoring [35] and notable for its
steady platform and minimal influence on the everyday
routines of penguins; and the Carrier Pigeon UAV, which
has been designed to physically carry data from the South
Pole to various destinations in the Southern Hemisphere
[62]. In addition, a balloon-assisted gliding UAV has been
developed for atmospheric observation and spatiotemporal
aerosol variations [32].
2) UAVs are platforms for carrying various sensors that
are used in Antarctic research. Traditional UAVs are
commonly equipped with visible light cameras [15],
[63], [64]. However, hyperspectral, multispectral, and
short/midwave-range cameras (such as thermal infrared
cameras) have been used in recent years [55], [56],
[63], [65], [66]. The latest UAVs have been carrying an
increasing number of meteorological detectors [32],
[33], [52], GPS/GNSS equipment [67], lidars [23],
[25], [67], radars [16], [30], and magnetometers [59]
for data collection.
3) UAVs are used to acquire high-resolution aerial images,
from which photogrammetric technologies generate
high-resolution DOM and DEM products that can subsequently
be employed in relevant scientific studies and
as base data for other products. Supplementary materials
available at https://www.doi.org/10.1109/MGRS.2022.
3227056 summarize UAV-related research in Antarctica.
UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES IN GLACIAL
MICROTOPOGRAPHY STUDIES
The most direct use of high-resolution UAV aerial images is
to create high-resolution DOMs and DEMs by photogrammetry,
which can be used in understanding the evolution of microtopographic
features on the surface of the AIS (Figure 5).
McGill et al. [50] tracked the movement of a free-floating iceberg
in the Southern Ocean and a large crack on its surface,
based on a UAV and GPS. In such experiments, UAVs place
GPS tracking tags on an iceberg, and the GPS data record the
precise position of the iceberg over time. The aerial photographs
obtained by UAVs clearly showed a meter-scale hole
on the surface of the iceberg, created by wave erosion at the
bottom of the iceberg, and a tens-of-meters-long fracture. Owing
to their low cost, small size, convenient carrying, flexible
operation, and high-spatiotemporal resolution, UAVs have
Design and
Experiment
Ensure the Endurance,
Wind Resistance, and
Aerial Photography Stability
Visible Light Cameras
Equipped With
Multiple Sensors
Hyperspectral Cameras
Multispectral Cameras
Short/Midwave Range Cameras
Meteorological Detectors
UAVs in Glacial
Scientific
Application
Microtopography Study
UAVs in Flora Study
UAVs in Fauna Study
UAVs in Atmosphere Study
UAVs in Sea Ice Study
UAVs in Aerormagnetic Surveys
UAVs in Subglacial Environment Study
FIGURE 4. The primary purpose categories of UAVs in Antarctic research.
78
IEEE GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING MAGAZINE MARCH 2023
Landforms
Crevasses and Rifts
Subsidence and
Melting Ponds
Reduce Interference
With the Surrounding
Environment
GPS/GNSS
LIDAR
Radar
Magnetometers
Application of UAVs in Antarctica
https://www.doi.org/10.1109/MGRS.2022.3227056 https://www.doi.org/10.1109/MGRS.2022.3227056
IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - March 2023

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