I found you.

Guest

I finally found where I can reply and talk to you. I have been reading your postings in the Journal section and it sounds like you have already had several adventures. Are you still headed to Svalbard or did you have to re-plan the study?

What did it feel like on the ice boats? Could they go fast like a motor boat or slow like a troller? Were you scared to feel the in the water hitting the boat? How does an ice boat work? I imagine a picture of a boat with a great big can opener on the front but when I looked at your pictures it looks more like the ice is not solid, rather more chunky.

Your pictures are great and I can't wait to see more.

Guest

Unbelievable beauty. People pay BIG dollars to tour ALaska and see only as tourists the things you are seeing all around you. Must be exhilarating.

If the ice hasn't melted enough by now for you to proceed north, will it be safe at all this year? Since we're well into summer and sunlight is less every day, have your days begun to get even cooler?

Have you seen any Polar Bears, yet?

My daughter wwants to know if you have seen any walrus.

Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Posts: 64

Hey Girl! Glad to hear from you! I want you to check our another TREC teacher, Steve, who is currently on an actual ice-cutter to learn more about how they work. Go to the TREC main page and click on his link. More information on the Coast Guard Cutter Healy can be found at http://www.uscg.mil/news/Healy/healyspecial.htm. The boat that finally took us out through the ice was not actually an ice cutter, but it is rated as having the most ice-cutting ability possible for a boat of its size. It has a specially designed and reinforced hull and greater power, strength, and weight than your typical boats that we saw stranded along the way!

The boat moves more slowly through the ice, and believe me many of the sheets are quite solid! It seeks areas where there is a path of least resistance, but when it can find none it forces its way through. It makes a loud ramming sound and scrapes along through the opening. The ice cracks and moans as it breaks up on either side. An interesting phenomenon is that once broken apart, the massive ice is often left unbalanced and seeks a state of equilibrium. Thus it sometimes starts rocking and bobbing and breaking off chunks on its own after the boat has passed. It is like it we have cut through an angry giant! Other times, it just parts peacefully and becomes two sheets where once it was but one.

You probably remember hearing the phrase "tip of the iceberg" and possibly wondering exactly what that meant? Well, largely due to the differences in the density of liquid water and frozen ice, along with the other materials that become a part of the ice berg, only about 10% of the ice mass is visible above the water, which can be quite dangerous and misleading. It is difficult to predict the irregular shape that the iceberg takes below the surface!

We did pick up speed as soon as we made it through the ice!