Report to Senior Arctic Officials on the Benefits of Unmanned Aircraft for Gathering Environmental Data in the Arctic. March 28, 2008.

Abstract

"Recent environmental changes in the Arctic are substantial, some of them unprecedented in observed history, and not well understood. Arctic research suggests that these changes are likely linked to human activities leading to global climate change. Our predictions of future changes show an accelerated warming with continued ice melt. However, our predictions are limited by a lack of full understanding of mechanisms and would improve with additional observations. A group of scientists, unmanned aircraft engineers and civil aviation authorities met in Stockholm Sweden in March, 2008 to discuss the applications of Unmanned Aircraft for environmental measurements in the Arctic. This report is the summary of those discussions. More information is available at www.amap.no." /.../