News Climate

A robot swarm is on a mission to map Greenland’s perilous ice sheets

The fleet of drones, subs and sensors will map ice melt to forecast climate tipping points

Two boats float in icy waters. Rocky cliffs loom in the background, while a big chunk of white and blue ice is in the foreground. It dwarfs the smaller of two red boats.

The Royal Research Ship Sir David Attenborough is seen here behind its smaller research vessel, Erebus, in Greenland, where it will deliver a swarm of uncrewed subs and drones to collect crucial data.

British Antarctic Survey

By Mićo Tatalović

This summer, in remote Greenland, a suite of high-tech gadgets and robots will be deployed, James Bond–like, at the treacherous points where glaciers meet the sea.