The Greenland Ice Sheet is disappearing and scientists are working vigorously to determine the sheet’s melt rate. In an effort to calculate how fast the ice is melting and how it may affect global sea levels, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is conducting fly-bys along the ice sheet.

According to the NOAA, its Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) and the Cooperative Institute will closely observer the ice sheet through the use of low-flying, unmanned aircrafts.

“We’re seeing the start of a new era in Arctic exploration,” scientist Betsy Weatherhead, of the Earth System Research Laboratory, said. “With unmanned aircraft systems, we can fly missions too dangerous, dirty, or dull for humans and address questions we couldn’t even think of addressing before.”

The lead scientist for the unmanned aircraft program, Weatherhead said the observation project is sponsored by the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences and Advanced Ceramics Research.

Two “Manta” aircrafts are being deployed for the project that will take place through the end of July. The planes will take off from Ilulissat, situated on the country’s west coast.

According to scientists, Greenland’s Ice Sheet is shrinking approximately 50 cubic miles annually. NASA satellite measurements indicated the sheet’s melt rate is accelerating over time. In all, there is 700,000 cubic miles on the Greenland Ice Sheet. Scientists blame the buildup of gases in the Earth’s atmosphere for the increase in melting. However, the true cause remains unknown. It is believed the fly-bys can help narrow down the reason the sheet is melting.

“We’re concerned that as temperatures rise, more heat will cause more melting, more melting will create bigger lakes, and the rate of ice loss will accelerate,” NOAA Corps CDR John Adler, the project manager and a CIRES graduate student, said.

The Mantas will provide a unique view for scientists, allowing them to study the region for more closely without putting a pilot’s life at risk. Trained professionals operate the Mantas via an ACR control. In all, the machine weighs 45 pounds and is 8-feet wide. The Manta can fly at about 45 miles per hour for six hours.