Validation and Application of Novel Wind Estimation Techniques with UAVs in the Arctic

This project aims to develop the novel application of rotary wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for wind speed and direction estimation in the Arctic. The method relies on using the drone’s inertial measurements (pitch, roll, yaw angles & thrust) in a GPS-hold mode to estimate wind. The method is based on existing research (Hann et al, 2019), which proves the concept of the method, but lacks statistical significance due to too few datapoints. In this work, we first will collect additional meteorological data that will be used for validation of the method. Second, the method will be used to generate a timeseries of vertical wind profiles on heavily crevassed glaciers on Svalbard. These wind profiles will be then used to calculate the aerodynamic roughness length which relate to turbulent surface heat fluxes that affect the glacier energy balance. This work has a strong interdisciplinary character, including the fields of glaciology, meteorology and engineering. The results of this project will be used in Arthur Garreau’s Master thesis, conducted at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) on the topic of “Wind Estimation with Multirotor UAVs”.