MIT News breed · Wetenschap

Arctic Researchers Explore Under-Ice Acoustics and Through-Ice Communication

Researchers from MIT Lincoln Laboratory are investigating the complex soundscape beneath the Arctic Ocean and testing new methods for communication through ice. Their work, conducted during the U.S. Navy's Operation Ice Camp (OIC), aims to better understand natural and human-generated sounds in the Arctic and develop technologies for remote monitoring and communication.

Researchers analyzed data from sensors deployed in 2024 during Operation Ice Camp (OIC), detecting sounds from marine mammals and other sources. They returned in March 2026 with an improved geophone to better understand how these signals propagate through ice and to distinguish them from other acoustic sources. The changing Arctic environment, with melting sea ice opening new routes, makes understanding these acoustic signatures crucial for predicting ice fracturing, enhancing coastal resilience, informing geopolitical strategy, and surveilling adversary activity, aligning with U.S. government priorities for Arctic observation and strategic utilization.

The OIC, hosted by the Navy's Arctic Submarine Laboratory, provides a unique opportunity to test prototype equipment in the harsh Arctic environment. Despite challenging weather conditions, including blizzards and extreme cold during OIC 2026, the team, including researchers Ben Evans, David Whelihan, Ella Wawrzynek, and Ryan Saenger, managed to deploy some sensors. The severe weather delayed flights and limited operations, highlighting the need for technologies that minimize on-ice presence.

A key technology tested was a modem developed by Havguard, designed to communicate through ice using magnetic fields. Due to weather disruptions, the modem experiment was conducted in Utqiaġvik, Alaska, with support from UIC Science. Using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) equipped with the modem, researchers achieved through-ice communication at approximately 1.2 kilobytes per second, a promising result for an early prototype system that warrants further development.

The team also engaged with the local Arctic community, participating in local festivals and educational outreach with middle school students to discuss their research and teach sonar concepts. Building community connections is seen as vital for their work, fostering collaboration and opening new avenues for research, such as potentially applying machine learning to differentiate icequakes from marine mammal vocalizations.

Future plans include developing air-droppable sensors and optimizing the through-ice communication modem for integration with their sensor suite. The overarching goal is to minimize the need for personnel on the ice, enabling easier deployment and data retrieval even in extreme conditions, thereby enhancing the ability to monitor and operate in the Arctic.

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