Abstract
Antarctica plays a fundamental role in the Earth's climate, oceanic circulation and global ecosystem. It is a priority and a scientific challenge to understand its functioning and responses under different scenarios of global warming. However, extreme environmental conditions, seasonality and isolation hampers the efforts to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the physical, biological, chemical and geological processes taking place in Antarctica. Here we present unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as feasible, rapid and accurate tools for environmental and wildlife research in Antarctica. UAV surveys were carried out on Deception Island (South Shetland Islands) using visible, multispectral and thermal sensors, and a water sampling device to develop precise thematic ecological maps, detect anomalous thermal zones, identify and census wildlife, build 3D images of geometrically complex geological formations, and sample dissolved chemicals (< 0.22 µm) waters from inaccessible or protected areas.
Highlights
Antarctic environmental studies require the use of technological tools that minimize these issues, collect the maximum number of data and samples in order to facilitate multidisciplinary research, and maximize and improve the interpretation of information obtained in the field
The use of UAV technology as a remote sensing platform has brought about a revolution in environmental monitoring
UAVs may disturb wildlife during takeoff or flying at low altitudes[10], they are less invasive than human on foot[11], and reduce human risk during data and sampling collection on the field, in areas of difficult access
Summary
Antarctic environmental studies require the use of technological tools that minimize these issues, collect the maximum number of data and samples in order to facilitate multidisciplinary research, and maximize and improve the interpretation of information obtained in the field. We present images obtained with different sensors onboard UAVs for environmental studies on Deception Island.
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