The development of a low power GNSS system, as part of a Drone Assisted Environmental Sensor Network for a glacial environment
The development of a low power GNSS system, as part of a Drone Assisted Environmental Sensor Network for a glacial environment
We show the development of an innovative Internet of Things Real Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System, to study the short-term changes in surface velocity of two adjacent Icelandic glaciers, in order to understand the response of glaciers to climate change. We show for the first time that we are able to deploy such a system using an Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle, which allows inaccessible areas of the glacier to be studied. This system is low power, cost effective, with centimeter-level accuracy and transmits its data to the web server daily. Whilst there were variations in transmission success, overall our data indicate clear similarities in temporal velocity variations between the rovers at the individual sites, both at Breiðamerkurjökull where the rovers were only ∼200 m apart as well as Fjallsjökull where they were ∼1 km apart. This demonstrates how velocity patterns (but not magnitudes) were similar across the glacier.
GNSS, UAV, glaciers, sensor networks
Martinez, K.
5f711898-20fc-410e-a007-837d8c57cb18
Attia, S.
3401ed42-eba7-4909-b017-93f7e2e14a09
Bragg, G.
b5fd19b9-1a51-470b-a226-2d4dd5ff447a
Andrews, A.
2013a43c-bf6e-4125-8b98-84ecd75f19d7
Baurley, N.R.
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Hart, J.K.
e949a885-7b26-4544-9e15-32ba6f87e49a
April 2026
Martinez, K.
5f711898-20fc-410e-a007-837d8c57cb18
Attia, S.
3401ed42-eba7-4909-b017-93f7e2e14a09
Bragg, G.
b5fd19b9-1a51-470b-a226-2d4dd5ff447a
Andrews, A.
2013a43c-bf6e-4125-8b98-84ecd75f19d7
Baurley, N.R.
d567850b-2030-4d33-8d1d-5fcad6e60417
Hart, J.K.
e949a885-7b26-4544-9e15-32ba6f87e49a
Martinez, K., Attia, S., Bragg, G., Andrews, A., Baurley, N.R. and Hart, J.K.
(2026)
The development of a low power GNSS system, as part of a Drone Assisted Environmental Sensor Network for a glacial environment.
Earth and Space Science, 13 (4), [e2025EA004549].
(doi:10.1029/2025EA004549).
Abstract
We show the development of an innovative Internet of Things Real Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System, to study the short-term changes in surface velocity of two adjacent Icelandic glaciers, in order to understand the response of glaciers to climate change. We show for the first time that we are able to deploy such a system using an Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle, which allows inaccessible areas of the glacier to be studied. This system is low power, cost effective, with centimeter-level accuracy and transmits its data to the web server daily. Whilst there were variations in transmission success, overall our data indicate clear similarities in temporal velocity variations between the rovers at the individual sites, both at Breiðamerkurjökull where the rovers were only ∼200 m apart as well as Fjallsjökull where they were ∼1 km apart. This demonstrates how velocity patterns (but not magnitudes) were similar across the glacier.
Text
Earth and Space Science - 2026 - Martinez - The Development of a Low Power GNSS System as Part of a Drone Assisted
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 7 March 2026
e-pub ahead of print date: 28 March 2026
Published date: April 2026
Keywords:
GNSS, UAV, glaciers, sensor networks
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 511340
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/511340
ISSN: 2333-5084
PURE UUID: 980f3874-829d-4774-8fcd-91fcd443463c
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Date deposited: 12 May 2026 16:43
Last modified: 13 May 2026 02:05
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