Iceapelago

by Peter Brennan

  ‘That’s a great idea,’ responded Lars. ‘We need to expand the coverage of the research over a much wider area. Let’s see what the practical considerations are that we need to take account of in using this technology.’

  In fact, Lars had already anticipated this option. As a master of detail, lots of phone calls had been made. He called in a long-overdue favour. As a result, he was hoping he would be provided with all the resources – including a pair of military standard drones – needed to deliver the research outcomes. Lars knew it paid to have friends in high places, especially a Rear Admiral of the Norwegian navy, a member of his regular four-ball.

  Over the following days the researchers and scientists discussed, argued and debated where and how best to deploy the golf balls and who should lead each group. Gallons of coffee and mountains of biscuits and bagels were consumed.

  The Summit Station’s drone had basic features and was mostly used for aerial photography. It wasn’t the latest model. In fact, it was quite out of date, but provided essential up-to-date details of the crevasses at distances that could not be accessed on foot. The drone was deployed, in turn, by the five teams with everyone getting some experience in flying this inexpensive but essential toy of modern earth sciences.

  As images came in from a radius of some 300 kilometres from the Summit Station, the large map that dominated the common room at the Big House was dotted with colour coded stickers of all the possible drop sites.

  Early on in their deliberations it became clear that the golf balls would have to be deployed in at least three locations quite a distance from the Summit Station. It was agreed that heavy-duty ski transport would be necessary if sites at a distance due east and west of the Summit Station were selected. The two ski-cats could not do such a job as they could only transport three people. This would necessitate the sourcing of Bombardier Humvee vehicles and provisions for an estimated two weeks period. Lars made calls to other research stations and used his influence to borrow some additional equipment and supplies. The wider Greenland research community had by now heard of the forthcoming experiment. All were eager to assist.

  The Twin Otter could also be used. Lars had a clear preference for a location close to the Helheim Glacier, fifty kilometres up the Sermilik fjord from the small town of Tasiilaq on the east coast of Greenland, just under the Arctic Circle. The fact that there was an established research station in the area adjacent to a groomed ski runway was a factor in the selection of this location. While a decision in principle was reached to send one of the teams to this area, the exact drop location had yet to be decided.

  There was a fierce disagreement about the best locations closest to the Summit Station. There was agreement, however, that the husky sledge should be used to get to a location ten kilometres to the south. And the skimobiles could be deployed to a second location. Who got to travel by sledge would have to be decided by lots as all the students wanted to have this special experience. The sledge and skimobiles could only be used if weather conditions were good because the teams would have to return to the Summit Station the same day.

  Lars was made aware early on that Alice wanted to lead the field team that was going to the area of the Helheim Glacier. Her initial subtle hints were followed up by a direct and formal request. She was pushy and took advantage of his growing feelings for her. Phil Teahon was far more relaxed. He had a preference to lead one of the Humvee teams and once that was settled Per Jan would be in charge of the second.

  Lars had to make allowance for the transport of the pilots of the military standard drones he hoped to procure and their analysts, as well as the drivers of two Bombardier Humvees that would be used to provide transport to the locations at the greatest distance from the Summit Station. Additional oven tents, assorted equipment and food was ordered, enough for a three-week period. It was going to get crowded. He felt like a Quartermaster General. The Excel spreadsheet he was using to manage the project was off the page and just about out of control.

  Throughout Sean and Lars spoke at regular intervals. The production of the golf balls was on target and logistical arrangements were made to get the materials to the Summit Station by the agreed deadline.

  The only last-minute glitch was with the acquisition of the drones. Despite an earlier promise, Lars had to follow up on his not inconsiderable contacts with the Norwegian air force to source these high-spec drones.

  It took two further phone calls before the Norwegian air force’s commander agreed not only to deliver the kit and the Humvees to the airport at Ilulissat on the west coast of Greenland, but also to facilitate the transport of the golf balls from Galway City Airport to Ilulissat. He also agreed to provide skilled drone pilots and the supporting computer system that would be used to monitor the progress of the golf balls. Given his initial reluctance, it was a Damascene conversion.

  ‘Project Masters’, as it was now called, was no longer a secret. On the contrary, given the potential impact of a more rapid melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet than had previously been understood, it had caught the attention not only of officials but also of senior politicians in Norway and, most importantly, within the military community. All of a sudden, and in contrast to earlier reticence, everyone wanted to help and have a slice of the action. There was disbelief that such a simple idea as using floating golf balls might be the solution to the information deficit.

  Lars appreciated the willingness to help but was somewhat concerned that he might get crowded out. However, his contact in the Norwegian government made it clear from the ‘get go’ that he was in charge and that any military personnel and supporting technicians deployed to the Summit Station would be under his command. That made sense. As a quid pro quo, the Norwegian Government wanted immediate access to the data that would be generated. On this condition, they had no issues in meeting the costs of this part of the project. That also made sense.

  A few weeks before Lars had met Benny Lundt, Norway’s Chief Scientist, at a climate action conference. He shared his news with him. Benny had submitted a detailed report to the Norwegian Government about the serious consequences that could arise if the accelerated pace of the Greenland ice melt led over time to the collapse of parts of the glaciers into the North Atlantic. The main conclusion was that Norway’s weather patterns, and its economy, would be brought back to the Ice Age. The evidence suggested this could happen within a few decades and when it did the phenomenon would be irreversible. One of the wealthiest countries in the world could not buy its way out of such a scenario.

  No questions were asked when Benny arranged to have two of Norway’s long-range military drones redeployed for a short period along with supporting equipment and operators. He didn’t tell Lars, but he decided such was the importance of the experiment that he would travel to the Summit Station to lend support and to be there when the results came in.

  Lars and his project team leaders decided, having reviewed the preliminary drone and satellite images, the precise locations of the five base stations that would be used. In the end, the five locations selected themselves as all had been monitored on a regular basis over the past years.

  Allowing for the promised Norwegian air force drone pilots, each team would comprise three to four people. Additional tents to house everyone would need to be transported to the sites and assembled in good time. The two Humvees – also provided gratis by the Norwegians for the duration of the project – would have to be airlifted to the Summit Station.

  Communications were tested. At a very early stage Sean shared the radio frequencies of the individual golf balls with Lars. These, in turn, were passed to the Norwegian military and programmed into their computers. In short order, the required telemetry protocols were completed and programmed. Sean didn’t really understand why, but the Norwegians managed to get some use of a NASA polar orbiting satellite for the duration of the experiment. Despite some reservations, the American Department of Defence had rele
ased one of their most recently launched satellites, which had advanced space-based infrared systems. This satellite was normally used for missile defence.

  The Norwegian air force drone group did a series of tests using the early golf ball prototype on the River Glomma that flowed into the sea at Fredrikstad. They were impressed. While some tweaking was needed to address minor software glitches in the tracking system, Sean provided exactly what he had promised. The fact that the golf balls were embossed with Norway’s flag didn’t go unnoticed.

  As the August deadline for the arrival of the drones, transport, additional personnel and golf balls approached there was a rising sense of anticipation. As there was little else to do at 3,000 metres, everyone available at the Summit Station put in all the hours necessary to prepare for the deployment of the golf balls.

  Sean and his engineering team took on the task of designing and then producing the ‘floating ice balls’, or ‘FIBs’ as they became known, with their usual enthusiasm and skill.

  Sean’s was a start-up business and as a result there was no hierarchy within the ten strong work force. The average age was twenty-six. He was fortunate that the National University of Ireland Galway’s Engineering Faculty had educated such highly motivated people. They didn’t want to emigrate or leave the area preferring instead to work in a modern building within a short commuting distance of their families and friends. As long as he kept them busy, they would remain with the business. And busy they certainly were. The team was thrilled as online orders from a dozen countries for the original tracker golf ball were pouring in, despite the fact the ball itself was still deemed ineligible by the world’s golfing bodies. Amateur golfers didn’t care for such details. They didn’t want to spend a fortune on replacement golf balls when they could use Sean’s on multiple occasions. The revenue from these sales and the accompanying App exceeded all expectations. As a consequence, Sean was able to invest in additional equipment and testing facilities using the resulting cash flow.

  When he met Lars at the Masters, he was confident he had the capacity to produce a thousand golf balls within a short period. He didn’t tell Lars at the time, but his two-person innovation team had already tested a floating golf ball with the aim of identifying the inner core content materials that would give the ball the correct ballast without compromising its look and feel. They had also experimented with a variety of surface covering materials.

  After the Masters meeting, Sean’s innovation team started to explore the option of embedding a small camera into the ball. Again, nothing too sophisticated but a functional unit nonetheless.

  Lars’ technical specifications were challenging. The biggest problem was finding the most appropriate technology for the small enhanced transmitter that would be placed at the top of the golf ball. Sean had met the owner of another start-up company in the same business park who specialised in electronic gadgetry. He and Sean co-designed the chip that was capable of sending signals to a predetermined electronic reader. It wasn’t unlike the technology used to track and fly drones.

  As with most things that are innovative, a few ideas from other products were cannibalised, such as the inclusion of a small aerial protruding almost unseen through the core. Soft resin would surround the transmitter. The software code for tracking was written within a week. Writing the security protocols to comply with Lars’ requirements took much longer. As they were already putting logos on the golf balls, adding the Norwegian flag wasn’t an issue.

  Within three weeks Sean and his team had the first prototypes ready for field trials. They decided the fast-flowing River Corrib which passed over several weirs as it made its way to the sea through Galway City was as close as they could get nearby to the conditions of an ice sheet crevasse. Sean and two colleagues set up their computers in the company’s van at the edge of the river. The others involved with the trials were members of the local rowing club. They borrowed two four-seater boats and rowed to the centre of the river. Ten balls were dropped in the water. They floated, which was a start. More importantly, once they moved with the river’s flow Sean’s computer tracked and recorded their progress as was the intention. Each ball was displayed on a dotted red line. Minor tweaking to the tracking software was needed to improve the visual image of the reading. Otherwise everything was in order.

  They did one further trial with a prototype camera golf ball and it performed as expected. Again, some adjustments to the code were needed to improve the clarity of the visual images.

  It was time to make contact with Lars. They agreed a time for a conference call. After brief pleasantries, Sean got down to business.

  ‘We did a final test on the last batch late yesterday evening.’

  ‘And?’ asked Lars nervously. He was excited but impatient.

  ‘All the golf balls performed to the required standard,’ said Sean trying to speak calmly, relieved that he could finish his sentence. ‘The biggest challenge, as I expected, was to design an in-built camera with infrared and low light capacity. Thankfully the latest version of Apple’s iPhone has somewhat similar features.’

  ‘You didn’t use their technology, surely?’

  ‘Not exactly. Once we found out how the camera affected the balance of the golf ball, we set about adapting the camera kit we bought from a Chinese source.’ Lars laughed.

  ‘Sean Pitcher, you are a total rogue.’

  He smiled.

  ‘While we could only do a preliminary test of the golf balls with the added camera feature, they too seem to be finished to a high standard. Let me show you. Here is the recording of the field trial.’ Sean activated the clip on his computer.

  The TV screen in the Big Room lit up and showed the rapid movement of water.

  ‘What we did was place these camera golf balls close to a weir on the River Corrib that flows through Galway City into the Atlantic. What you are seeing is the first ever view of the Corrib in full flow from the viewpoint of the riverbed. We know the floating golf balls work best in a fast-flowing current. We added a few grams to the base of the core. This had the effect of the camera recording images upwards at an angle of about forty-five degrees. If the camera golf ball settles, for example in a slow flowing cavern structure, you should be able to observe its ceiling.’

  ‘Tell me more about the infrared ability. I didn’t know that Apple’s cameras had such a feature.’ Lars was keen to get a complete understanding of what Sean had achieved.

  ‘They don’t, nor do android cameras. One of my engineers served in the Irish army’s Ranger Wing with the United Nations. He had a lot of down time and with access to a work bench he managed to miniaturise the technology of his night vision goggles into the block that contains the lens of a standard iPhone camera. You should be aware that he has a patent on this invention and expects to make his fortune if Project Masters does the business.’

  ‘More Irish ingenuity,’ laughed Lars.

  ‘What hasn’t been tested is the range of the infrared images,’ said Sean. ‘If the deep caverns are penetrated with even the smallest amount of ambient light, even light from a safety lamp, this will greatly enhance the visual images that the camera will transmit.’

  ‘That’s great,’ said Lars.

  ‘I’m also going to send you the programme software that you should use to track the golf balls. Let me show you a camera shot of a replay of the data that the Corrib golf balls generated. We used ten golf balls so expect to see a plot for each one.’

  With Sean’s support they tracked the first golf ball to start with. The PC monitor showed it moving at fifteen kilometres per hour for the first ten minutes and as it approached the first weir the speed doubled. The red tracker line was crystal clear. As it went over the weir, it reached a speed of forty kilometres before it slowed down to a stop, then it started moving at just two kilometres per hour as it bounced slowly off the riverbed, reflecting the river’s current as it approached the nex
t weir. After it passed through this drop it stopped altogether. Unexpectedly, and to everyone’s amazement, Sean turned on the camera feature and the screen showed what appeared to be a thick clump of reeds. The golf ball had lodged there and would not be moving any time soon.

  The demonstration was exactly what Lars wanted.

  ‘The Norwegians will love this Sean. Their monitoring equipment is due to arrive in a few days and is ready to go using the radio frequencies you provided.’

  ‘Lars, I should have explained that the camera images can be captured using the same software we’ve designed for the golf ball tracking. It is a simple matter of selecting the ‘Use Camera’ button.’

  The entire team in the Big Room was more than impressed. They applauded spontaneously.

  Sean continued with a greater degree of pride.

  ‘When you deploy the golf balls into the ice-melt sinkholes, I expect there will be no vegetation to block their progress. As you can see, the software allows you to graph the speed, direction and descent of every golf ball. Assuming the majority of the golf balls work, and you should factor in a failure rate given your conditions, within a day or so the golf balls should be able to tell you whether your theories are correct by how close they are to emerging somewhere on the coast of Greenland.’

  Lars knew he had to factor in a failure rate. A thousand golf balls seemed a lot, but he needed the majority to produce the scientific data they were designed to deliver.

  ‘What might go wrong Sean? We need to talk through all these issues before the balls are deployed.’

  ‘One precaution would be to deploy a small sample in the first instance and depending on their progress and feedback proceed to a full deployment. As you will only have twenty camera golf balls, I would not use them until you are getting good readings from the test batch.’