Researchers at MIT Lincoln Laboratory are developing technologies to listen beneath Arctic sea ice and transmit data through it, with the long-term goal of creating a distributed network of low-cost sensors for continuous monitoring. The work could help scientists distinguish sounds from cracking ice, marine mammals, ships, and other sources as the Arctic environment changes.
During the U.S. Navy’s Operation Ice Camp 2026, researchers returned to the Arctic with a higher-fidelity geophone that detects vibrations in sea ice. Earlier sensors deployed in 2024 had captured signals including marine mammal vocalizations. Understanding how these sounds travel through ice could help researchers identify acoustic signatures associated with different natural and human activities.
Extreme Arctic weather complicated the 2026 experiments. Temperatures dropped to -25°F, while strong winds and repeated blizzards disrupted flights and limited sensor deployment. The conditions reinforced the need for monitoring systems that can operate with minimal human intervention.
The team also tested a magnetic through-ice communications system developed with Norwegian technology company Havguard. Radio-frequency signals weaken rapidly in seawater, so the prototype uses magneto-inductive communication instead. Researchers deployed a remotely operated vehicle carrying the transmitter beneath 3.6 feet of ice in a lagoon near Utqiaġvik, Alaska, while a receiver remained above the ice.
The prototype achieved a data-transfer rate of about 1.2 kilobytes per second. Future systems could pass sensor data through the ice and then relay it beyond the Arctic using drones or satellites.
Looking toward Operation Ice Camp 2028, the researchers plan to develop air-droppable sensors and improve the modem’s packaging and integration. They also hope to apply machine learning to distinguish icequakes from marine mammal sounds. Together, these technologies could make Arctic monitoring more persistent while reducing the need to place people in one of the world’s most difficult operating environments.
