Overview on AWI's airborne gravity surveys and its new research aircraft POLAR 5

• Main Authors: Steinhage, Daniel, Riedel, Sven, Meyer, U., Boebel, T., Jokat, Wilfried, Miller, Heinrich
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: Alfred Wegener Institute; Antarc*; Antarctic; Antarctica; Dronning Maud Land; Greenland; Ice Sheet
• Online Access: https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/20400/; https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.32613

The Alfred-Wegener-Institute (AWI) operates ski-equipped aircraft since 1983 in both polar regions for logistics and airborne research with varying scientific equipment for the German and international scientific community. Hitherto AWI utilized aircraft of type Dornier Do228, respectively Do 128. Since October 2007 POLAR 5 is in operation. Being a former DC-3, the aircraft was completely refurbished and became a Basler BT-67. Compared to the so far used research aircraft POLAR 5 has a higher payload and a larger range. The instrumentation available onboard of AWIs polar aircraft for airborne geophysical suveys comprises magnetometers, ice thickness radar, several altimeter systems, and a LaCoste-Rhomberg ships gravity meter, modified by ZLS Corp. for airborne use. Geodetic GPS receivers, basic meteorology, and a data acquisition system for gathering all data during flights complete the equipment.Prior to the first aero-gravity survey in the polar regions, the first aero-gravity survey was conducted above the Baltic Sea in 1996. Since then 4 offshore surveys in the Arctic, flown in the northeast if Greenland, and 12 surveys in Antarctica, covering Dronning Maud Land and the adjacent sea, have been accomplished. Main subject of the surveys is the tectonic structure of the ocean, respectively the bedrock underneath the Antarctic ice sheet. Most surveys have been flown with POLAR 2, a Dornier DO228-101, whereas the latest 2 surveys were accomplished with POLAR 5. Further surveys in the Arctic and Antarctic are planned.