UAV Glaciological Analysis

The original objective was to carry out UAV surveys of the Breiðamerkurjökull and Fjallsjökull glaciers. However, due to time and logistical constraints, the expedition decided to focus solely on surveying the Fjallsjökull, and spent five days gathering data. On the first day they set their control points and marked out various locations with GPS before taking the first initial UAV surveys. The second day they were unable to undertake work due to adverse weather conditions, and continued instead on the third day, gathering a full set of UAV surveys. From here the weather closed in again and, after being kept inside for the fourth day, they collected their control points on the fifth day and returned to Reykjavik. There is substantial potential for future research into glacier dynamics and hydrology, and the team hope to return in 2020 for a longer period in order to expand the data set further with a more advanced UAV, capable of undertaking longer and more remote surveys of both glaciers. This data will ultimately provide more insight on velocity, hydrology and calving activity that can inform the understanding of glacial calving dynamics.