Design and Field Testing of the Heavyweight Ice Gateway Buoy to Support Arctic Science

This paper describes the overall design and recent deployments of the Heavyweight Ice Gateway Buoy (IGB-H), developed at the University of Washington's Applied Physics Laboratory. IGB-H supports Arctic research both as a singular ice-hardened platform for hosting science sensors, and by serving as an underwater acoustic communication gateway and navigation source in collaboration with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Acoustic Communications Group. It forms part of the Office of Naval Research Arctic Mobile Observing System (AMOS) in the Beaufort Sea. This paper will focus on the design of the buoy and its use as a robust sensor platform for Arctic science.