Jonathan Pasma

Papers

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About

Dr. Jonathan Pasma is a polar engineer and roboticist whose work is transforming how scientists access and study the world’s most remote cryospheric environments. His primary research focuses on the development of autonomous unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for polar field sampling, with a specific emphasis on bridging critical observation gaps in Greenland’s ice-choked waters. Pasma’s most cited work, "Retrieval of Ice Samples Using the Ice Drone" (2019, 26 citations), directly addresses the profound lack of data on the ecological impacts of meltwater produced by icebergs and sea ice. Recognizing that traditional ship-based sampling is resource-intensive, labor-heavy, and fraught with risk, he engineered a small, unmanned robot capable of safely retrieving pristine ice samples from hazardous, inaccessible zones. This innovation dramatically reduces the logistical footprint and danger of polar fieldwork, enabling higher-resolution, safer data collection. By replacing perilous manual methods with a precise robotic solution, Pasma is not only advancing polar engineering but also empowering glaciologists and ecologists to finally understand the biological consequences of melting ice, marking him as a key figure in the future of autonomous polar science.