Author(s): Chi Chen; Yilong Zhou; Haoran Zhu; Yuan Li; Qi Qin; Gang Wu
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Polar; Under-ice; Acoustic; PNT; Communication; Detection; Underwater vehicle
Abstract: Due to the special and harsh environment, underwater space in polar regions is still hard to access. It is one of the last unrevealed puzzles that impedes human beings to compose the whole atlas of our ocean. In recent decades, polar issues are arising again. This time the public and scientists’ community are no longer care about geographic discoveries, but those topics like climate change, bio-diversity, natural resources utilization, which are strongly related to the fate of entire human race. The scientific exploration is not conducted horizontally but also vertically and the under-ice water column is of the great interest for researchers. Therefore, underwater vehicles are widely applied in polar regions. Although under-ice water environment is much more mild compared atmosphere, factors like high-latitude, ice coverage, complex hydrological and geological environment lead the positioning navigation timing (PNT), communication and detection methods differ from those in low-latitude open water. This article scans the current situation, challenges on under-ice PNT, communication and detection techniques applied in polar region. And an outlook on the development trend of those techniques will be also discussed.
Year: 2026