Conference Preview: 2021 Summit on Drone Geophysics set for 2 to 5 November

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (10) ◽  
pp. 778-778
Author(s):  
Morgan Sander-Olhoeft ◽  
Laura Quigley ◽  
Laurie Whitesell

Postconvention workshops focused on drones, unmanned airborne systems (UASs), and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have occurred previously at the SEG Annual Meeting. In 2017, the SEG Near-Surface Geophysics Technical Section conducted the first such event called Drones Applied to Geophysical Mapping. This first event ushered in the topic for future Annual Meetings. In 2018, the postconvention event was called Advances in Unmanned Airborne Systems Geophysics. Both events were hugely successful and helped set the stage for the standalone reoccurring virtual Summit on Drone Geophysics.

Author(s):  
Sean C. C. Bailey ◽  
Caleb A. Canter ◽  
Michael P. Sama ◽  
Adam L. Houston ◽  
Suzanne Weaver Smith

We use unmanned aerial vehicles to interrogate the surface layer processes during a solar eclipse and gain a comprehensive look at the changes made to the atmospheric surface layer as a result of the rapid change of insolation. Measurements of the atmospheric surface layer structure made by the unmanned systems are connected to surface measurements to provide a holistic view of the impact of the eclipse on the near-surface behaviour, large-scale turbulent structures and small-scale turbulent dynamics. Different regimes of atmospheric surface layer behaviour were identified, with the most significant impact including the formation of a stable layer just after totality and evidence of Kelvin–Helmholtz waves appearing at the interface between this layer and the residual layer forming above it. The decrease in surface heating caused a commensurate decrease in buoyant turbulent production, which resulted in a rapid decay of the turbulence in the atmospheric surface layer both within the stable layer and in the mixed layer forming above it. Significant changes in the wind direction were imposed by the decrease in insolation, with evidence supporting the formation of a nocturnal jet, as well as backing of the wind vector within the stable layer.


2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-68
Author(s):  
Sarah Morton-Rupert ◽  
Steven Malecek ◽  
Mark Legg

The 2018 Annual Meeting marked the largest near-surface geophysics technical program in the history of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists. In Anaheim, attendees could participate in nine near-surface oral presentations, six poster sessions, one preconference short course, two postconference workshops, and for the first time, three panel discussions. These panels add a new platform to the Annual Meeting to help diversify the technical program and facilitate discussions on geophysical hot topics among professionals from varying but complementary fields.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott M. Brown ◽  
Christopher J. Zappa ◽  
Nathan J. M. Laxague ◽  
Tejendra Dhakal ◽  
Ryan A. Harris ◽  
...  

<p><span>Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are proving to be an important modern sensing platform that supplement the sensing capabilities from platforms such as satellites, aircraft, research vessels, moorings, and gliders. UAVs, like satellites and aircraft can provide a synoptic view of a relatively large area. However, the coarse resolution provided by satellites and the operational limitations of manned aircraft has motivated the development of unmanned systems. UAVs offer unparalleled flexibility of tasking; for example, low altitude flight and slow airspeed allow for the characterization of a wide variety of geophysical phenomena at the ocean surface and in the marine atmospheric boundary layer. </span><span>Here, we present the development of cutting-edge payload instrumentation for UAVs that provides a new capability for ship-deployed operations to capture a unique, high resolution spatial and temporal variability of the changing air-sea interaction processes than was previously possible. The modular design of the base payload means that new instruments can be incorporated into new research proposals that may include new instruments for expanded use of the payloads as a long-term research facility. Additionally, we implement a novel capability for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) from research vessels. This VTOL capability is safer and requires less logistical support than previous ship-deployed systems. Furthermore, these VTOL UAV systems have 15-hour endurance with 15-lb payloads, fully autonomous take-off, flight, and landing from ships, and high-bandwidth data telemetry (100 Mbits/s over 50+ nm range) for real-time mission control and provide for our “eyes over the horizon.” The payloads developed include thermal infrared, visible broadband and hyperspectral, and near-infrared hyperspectral high-resolution imaging. Additional capabilities include quantification of the longwave and shortwave hemispheric radiation budget (up- and down-welling) as well as direct air-sea turbulent fluxes. Finally, a UAV-deployed dropsonde-microbuoy was developed in order to profile the temperature, pressure and humidity of the atmosphere and the temperature and salinity of the near-surface ocean.</span><span> These technological advancements provide the next generation of instrumentation capability for UAVs. We present on the results of 3 case studies in the South Pacific near Fiji, including measurements characterizing meso-scale ocean SST fronts, trichodesmium blooms, and floating pumice rafts from a recent undersea volcanic eruption near Tonga. When deployed from research vessels, these UAVs will provide a transformational science prism unequaled using 1-D data snapshots from ships or moorings alone.</span></p>


Author(s):  
A.A. Moykin ◽  
◽  
A.S. Medzhibovsky ◽  
S.A. Kriushin ◽  
M.V. Seleznev ◽  
...  

Nowadays, the creation of remotely-piloted aerial vehicles for various purposes is regarded as one of the most relevant and promising trends of aircraft development. FAU "25 State Research Institute of Chemmotology of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation" have studied the operation features of aircraft piston engines and developed technical requirements for motor oil for piston four-stroke UAV engines, as well as a new engine oil M-5z/20 AERO in cooperation with NPP KVALITET, LLC. Based on the complex of qualification tests, the stated operational properties of the experimental-industrial batch of M-5z/20 AERO oil are generally confirmed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (11) ◽  
pp. 985-995
Author(s):  
Valerii V. Semenets ◽  
V. M. Kartashov ◽  
V. I. Leonidov

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