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Drones survey ice in Nome harbor before tanker's arrival

Published: January 11th, 2012 09:33 AM
Last Modified: January 11th, 2012 09:34 AM

Scientists from the University of Alaska Fairbanks brought BP-owned, camera-equipped drone aircraft to Nome this week and sent them out over the harbor ice. They hope their observations will help the crew of the Russian tanker Renda when they reach Nome to deliver fuel, reports the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

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Nome's harbor is too shallow for [the Coast Guard icebreaker] Healy to enter, and the Renda will have to fare on its own to unload its fuel. ...

Andy Mahoney, a research assistant professor of geophysics, analyzed the ice outside the harbor and got a read on some of the pressure ridges' thickness. Pressure ridges are created by ice pushing up against other ice, creating miniature mountain ranges. One was 25 feet thick. ...

The small "drones" are about the size of smoke detectors, with four arms with propellors attached. A camera is positioned at the bottom of the craft.