Exploration rovers for investigation of ice sheet changes in Greenland

The Greenland ice sheet is losing mass these years. The mass loss occurs mainly along the margins, while the vast interior regions comprising about 80% of the total area have remained stable or slightly thickened. Direct observations are sparse in these remote and hostile areas, yet they are crucial for interpretation of remote sensing observations and validation of climate models.
Our vision is to develop an array of autonomous rovers to explore the interior of the Greenland ice sheet continuously, even through winter seasons where satellite observations are limited due to the polar night. This will dramatically increase the amount of in-situ observations from these areas, and thereby advance the understanding of how ice sheets respond to climate change and their contribution to future sea level changes.