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> 08-25-05: Walking on the Arctic Ocean
Ute_Kaden
post Aug 28 2005, 05:25 PM
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Six hours on the ice and walking on the Arctic Ocean
8-25-05


One science objectives of the cruise is to learn more about sea ice and climate of the Arctic Ocean. It is important to collect data over a long period of time to draw valid conclusions. Sea ice is drifting with the ocean currents and wind, temperature and air pressure are constantly changing. To gather information scientists position buoys, web cameras and sensors on big ice floes that drift in the Arctic Ocean. I had the opportunity to join our ice team Don Perovich, Thomas Grenfell, Bruce Elder and Jeremy Harbeck on the ice.

The mission was to deploy two buoys and install a web camera which records live pictures and transmits information over satellite back to the science office. In addition, we had to collect ice data like grain size, salinity, thickness, age and snow cover from the current location which involves a lot of ice core drilling.

How to get on the ice from a big ship? Well, there are different methods. I was told that we will be lowered down to the ice by crane in a basket. Aha, I had no glue what that involved but “wait and see” is always a good idea. Putting on the mustang suit for protection, finding all my cameras and extra battery packs, neck gather, sun glasses and off we went.

The basket ride was better than any Six Flag adventure with a beautiful view toward the ship and ice. Don’t worry it is not a gravity drop on a bungee cord.

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The basket is loaded ready to go down. I am holding on to a buoy that will get deployed at the station

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Basket gets lowered down

Ones on the ice I went with Thomas and Jeremy to collect samples and drill holes in the ice. For protection we have a “Bear Watch” on duty all the time. Bears like to eat science equipment (scientists?) or play with it.

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Yes, bears eat science equipment and people. A bear watch is a must when on ice.

Bruce and Don installed the web cam and one buoy. Ruben was on the helicopter to deploy the second buoy. The Japanese team installed their equipment and we helped each other out to replace broken drills, tape or simply by giving a hand.

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Ute is measuring ice thickness (photo by Jeremy H.)

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Jeremy and Thomas are surveying the melt ponds

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Instruments that are left behind on the ocean can work up to 2 years

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Thomas, Jeremy and I on the ice near a melt pond. Helo is flying.

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Thomas Grenfell is drilling an ice core

Finally, after 6 hours walking and working on the Arctic Ocean ice our mission was concluded successfully. What a day!

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Kazu meditates after a successful day

During dinner my Japanese friend Kazu expressed to me that he got very dehydrated on the ice. “I did not expect that we are out on the ice for so long and I had no water bottle with me”, he told me. I felt the same effect hours later on the boat catching myself drinking 5 mugs of tea in 10 minutes. We should have known. Dehydration is a major polar hazard. In dry, cold air, you lose more water than you think- Please, carry a water bottle.

The end of this working day on the ice was a happy one. Bruce Elder had an e-mail confirmation that the newly installed webcam was already transmitting photos, the Japanese science equipment recorded data as expected and all the buoys got deployed. Unfortunately, we could not smoke a cigar like the longstanding tradition for a successful science mission implies. We resorted to a lollipop.

PS: Here is the address for the newly installed web camera.

http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/gallery_np.html

The first photo shows the ship. We jumped up and down in front of it. However, the camera is recording only one photo every 6 h. We had to leave before the next one was taken…
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