Seen & heard: Mapping the melting arctic and India’s war on drugs

“Seen & Heard” is a monthly feature of GPS World magazine, traveling the world to capture interesting and unusual news stories involving the GNSS/PNT industry.

Mapping the melting Arctic

Image: TT / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images

According to the 2023 Arctic Report Card by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), new records have been documented showing that human-induced warming of the atmosphere, ocean and land is creating adverse impacts on people, ecosystems and communities across the Arctic region. The report states the Arctic is experiencing a faster rate of warming than any other part of the world. Overall, it was the Arctic’s sixth-warmest year on record. Sea ice extent continued to decline, with the past 17 Septembers now registering as the lowest on record.

GNSS enhances landslide monitoring in China

Image: pananba / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images

Researchers from Chang’an University in China have developed a new method of tracking landslides. The team combined GNSS precise point positioning (PPP) techniques with a cumulative sum control chart (CUSUM) method. Conducted at the Tengqing landslide in Liupanshui, Guizhou Province, Southwest China, the study aims to enhance the precision in tracking the movements of the landslides and improve the overall reliability of the monitoring results.

Crabs on the move

Image: United States Geological Survey (USGS)

Georgia officials are asking the public for help in spotting non-native blue land crabs as they appear to be moving north in recent years, according to data collected by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). According to USGS, it is unclear whether this movement is driven by humans or by the crabs themselves, or if the crabs are breeding in their non-native homes. Officials worry about the damage caused by the crabs’ burrowing behavior. While scientists learn about how the species interacts with its new environment, several states are asking residents to report sightings.

India’s war on drugs

Image: evandrorigon / E+ / Getty Images

India’s border security force (BSF) has said it is battling an unprecedented UAV “menace” infiltrating the border with Pakistan, fueling the drug crisis in the state of Punjab and raising serious security issues, reported The Guardian. UAVs have dropped weapons such as pistols and Chinese-made assault rifles, as well as consignments of opium and heroin believed to be from Afghanistan.