A012-0004
Overcoming Technical Challenges Related to Collecting Atmospheric Data with RPAS in the High Arctic During MOSAiC

Monday, 7 December 2020
Poster
Radiance Calmer1, Jonathan Hamilton2, Dale Lawrence2, Gijs de Boer3, John J Cassano4, Gina Jozef5, Steven Borenstein2, Abhiram Doddi2 and Brian M. Argrow2, (1)University of Colorado at Boulder, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, Boulder, CO, United States, (2)University of Colorado at Boulder, Aerospace Engineering Sciences, Boulder, CO, United States, (3)CIRES/University of Colorado/NOAA/PSL, Boulder, CO, United States, (4)Univ Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States, (5)University of Colorado at Boulder, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Boulder, CO, United States
Abstract:
A team of researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder (CU) conducted research flights using Remotely-Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) during the MOSAiC (Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate) Expedition. MOSAiC provided a unique opportunity to gather atmospheric measurements in the high Arctic, but also required overcoming some technical challenges associated with operating from a drifting, dynamic, sea ice floe. CU’s RPAS flights aimed to collect measurements on the atmospheric boundary layer as well as atmosphere-surface interactions. To accomplish this, CU operated two different research platforms during MOSAiC, a 1.8 kg fixed wing aircraft, the DataHawk (legs 3 and 4), and the Helix, a 12 kg hexacopter (leg 4). Conducting RPAS operations from the sea ice required navigation adaptations, some of which were tested during a high latitude pre-field campaign on Svalbard. Additional challenges were encountered during the expedition including fast drift of the floe, cold and windy conditions, consistently foggy weather, and a rapidly changing sea ice surface. Adaptive solutions and further thoughts that supported RPAS operations in this high-Arctic, moving environment will be presented.
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