Can drones help uncover the great secrets of our planet?

At Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, scientists are loading drones with high-tech instruments and using satellites and undersea cables to explore undersea volcanoes, monitor coastal erosion along hard-to-reach shorelines, and study the movement of sea ice in real time. Done in some of the most remote locations on Earth, their work is uncovering the secrets of our planet.

In the Arctic, for example, oceanographer and Lamont associate research professor Christopher Zappa is gathering unmatched data by redesigning instruments typically found aboard research ships or aircrafts and fitting them into drones that measure sea ice topography and movement. The data provide insights on how the ocean and atmosphere affect one another.

By putting all types of scientific platforms to use for real-time data analysis, researchers at Lamont are fueling breakthroughs across the sciences, verifying computer models and revealing unexpected changes. Learn more.