Cryologger Ice Tracking Beacon: A Low-Cost, Open-Source Platform for Tracking Icebergs and Ice Islands

Sensors (Basel). 2024 Feb 6;24(4):1044. doi: 10.3390/s24041044.

Abstract

Icebergs and ice islands (large, tabular icebergs) present a significant hazard to marine vessels and infrastructure at a time when demand for access to Arctic waters is increasing. There is a growing demand for in situ iceberg tracking data to monitor their drift trajectories and improve models used for operational forecasting of ice hazards, yet the high cost of commercial tracking devices often prevents monitoring at optimal spatial and temporal resolutions. Here, we provide a detailed description of the Cryologger Ice Tracking Beacon (ITB), a low-cost, robust, and user-friendly data logger and telemeter for tracking icebergs and ice islands based on the Arduino open-source electronics platform. Designed for deployments of at least 2 years with an hourly sampling interval that is remotely modifiable by the end user, the Cryologger ITB provides long-term measurements of position, temperature, pressure, pitch, roll, heading, and battery voltage. Data are transmitted via the Iridium satellite network at user-specified intervals. We present the results of field campaigns in 2018 and 2019, which saw the deployment of 16 ITBs along the coasts of Greenland and Ellesmere and Baffin islands. The overall success of these ITB deployments has demonstrated that inexpensive, open-source hardware and software can provide a reliable and cost-effective method of monitoring icebergs and ice islands in the polar regions.

Keywords: Arctic; Arduino; hazards; ice islands; icebergs; low-cost; open source; polar; real-time data; tracking beacon.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by ArcticNet, a Network of Centers of Excellence of Canada, under the GO-Ice project, the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant and Northern Research Supplement, Polar Knowledge Canada, and Environment and Climate Change Canada. In-kind logistical support was provided by Amundsen Science and the Polar Continental Shelf Program (PCSP).