1, it is clear that UAV-based glaciological research make up a very small fraction of all UAV-based environmental research. However, this small fraction is in accordance with the proportion of remote sensing-based glaciological research to overall remote sensing-based environmental research, exclusive of the use of UAV, considering thewide applicability of remote sensing in environmental research (Melesse, Weng, Thenkabail, & Senay, 2007). In fact,we observed that the largest number of articleswere research papers covering UAV applications in urban and agricultural sectors. We recorded the number of published papers on UAV-based glaciological studies since 2007 and noticed their growing
numbers since 2013. Although the technology is gradually advancing and gaining popularity among glaciologists, there are certain hurdles that are hindering the introduction progress of UAVs in glacier research. One prominent issue is the sturdiness of UAVs that can withstand the harsh climate of glacial regions. As seen in Fig. 2, the hotspots of UAV applications in glaciology have been polar or sub-polar regions (~90%). The temperate and