Situation around drifting Arctic station monitored with UAV plane.

ST. PETERSBURG, July 9 (Itar-Tass) -- Polar researchers at the
drifting North Pole-38 station use an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to
control the ice situation in the area, the chief controller of the Arctic
expedition, Vladimir Sokolov of the Arctic and Antarctic Scientific
Research Institute in St. Petersburg, told Itar-Tass on Saturday.
Three UAV flights were carried out, he said.
The air temperature in the area reaches four degrees Centigrade. More
than half of the ice territory under the station is covered with wet snow
"gruel". However, the work during polar days continues strictly according
to schedule, Sokolov noted.
One unmanned aircraft flight was carried out according to the
programme to measure the temperature and air humidity. The other two were
carried out to study the ice situation. A video recording of the surface
on the station movement route has been received, he said.
The temperature of the ice near the station is measured. The minimum
temperature was 2.6 degrees below zero.
Testing is conducted at the station for receiving signals of the
NAVSTAR/GLONASS satellite navigation systems to have statistic accuracy
characteristics for high latitudes, Sokolov said .
The base ice field drifted 26.3 km in the past week. Since the station
opening in October 2010, it has drifted a total of 2.200 km. The removal
of Polar Station 38 is planned for September 2011.