UK-based drone logistics company Windracers has announced that its drones are helping the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) unlock new data in previously uncharted parts of Antarctica.
In a world-first for drone-assisted science, BAS deployed the Windracers ULTRA, a long-range cargo drone, for autonomous Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) missions to map out remote parts of West Antarctica and investigate how the Earth’s crust was created and deformed.
The new research, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, used state-of-the-art gravity and magnetic sensors to reveal huge bodies of frozen magma, hidden below the icy sea.
Photos of previously unexplored islands, taken at the same time, show how these rocks were deformed as the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula were pushed up by movement of the Earth’s tectonic plates.
Until now, the lack of data from this remote area meant scientists had limited understanding of the region. Using the long-range, heavy-lift capability and autonomous operation of Windracers ULTRA, BAS experts were able to quickly and effectively map out the hidden geology of this inaccessible region.
“We’re proud to support the world-class scientists at British Antarctic Survey and play a role in deepening our understanding of climate systems and sea-level change,” said Stephen Wright, Founder and Group Executive Chairman of Windracers.
“We are grateful to the British Antarctic Survey for their ongoing collaboration with Windracers. These original missions demonstrate how Windracers ULTRA is already delivering real-world impact and operating in one of the world’s most challenging environments.”
The drone company added that the SWARM project demonstrated the Windracers ULTRA’s value in real-world survey and logistic settings, proving its potential for future deployments in remote and challenging environments around the world. The SWARM project was funded by UKRI Innovate UK.
“Working with Windracers on this research was an exciting opportunity to take the concept of large uncrewed aerial vehicle delivering environmental science data from a dream to a demonstrated reality,” said Tom Jordan, Geophysicist at the British Antarctic Survey.
“This project paves the way for new ways of collecting data across multiple science areas around Antarctica, providing insights into the continents past, and the critical information needed to monitor and predict how the continent will change in response to the warming climate into the future”.