A collage of some of the reading material found on board the USCGC Healy. Photo by Ute Kaden (TREC 2005), Courtesy of ARCUS
Prepare for 'Lazy Days' Our work here with the Fedorov is nearly done. The Distributed Network is set up. Weather, skilled planning, and luck were on our side. There are a few final steps that…
Oceanographic research instrument. This CTD measures conductivity (which tells us how salty the water is), temperature, and density. It also contains sampling bottles which are closed at different depths, capturing water. The water is analyzed for things like dissolved oxygen and nutrients like nitrogen. It also can be filtered to look more closely at phytoplankton present and chlorophyll concentrations. It is an important tool for studying phytoplankton and environmental factors in the ocean. (Photo courte
Sugar Blobs & Stressed Out Algae The distributed network is set up! Buoys and sensors are installed in an intricate pattern for 20-30 miles around the main ice camp. We will likely circle back…
Sunset over sea ice. Tonight, the sun is setting. After it sinks below the horizon, the sun will not show itself at this northern latitude until early spring 2020. Photo by Bill Schomoker (PolarTREC 2015), Courtesy of ARCUS.
Polar Night Eve This morning, the sun rose here at latitude 85 degrees north for the last time this year. For the rest of 2019 and into February 2020 there will be no direct sunlight. The sun will…
A science crew member uses an ice drill to bore a hole in the sea ice for an ice depth measurement. On the sea ice near the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent in the Beaufort Sea. Photo by Dave Jones (PolarTREC 2017), Courtesy of ARCUS.
The Core of It All Ice coring. There is a LOT of sea ice coring happening through MOSAiC. To do this, scientists use a tube-like tool with teeth on the end to drill from the top to the bottom of the…
First group of scientists lands on an ice floe. Gunnar Spreen (l) and Matthew Shupe (r) exam a potential ice floe for MOSAiC. September 30, 2019, Esther Horvath (Photo: Esther Horvath; Courtesy of AWI 2019.)
On the Ice! Fedorov set up our first site on the ice yesterday! The day opened with a beautiful sunrise and just got better from there. People were very excited to finally be able to get their…
Polarstern (l) and Akademik Fedorov (r) dock next to each other. (Photo: Esther Horvath)
The Ice Castle The Polarstern found their floe! In a sea of thin ice, they found one of the few pieces in this region thick and big enough to support the science operations and airstrip. They will…
Sea ice algae, as seen in the green-brown coloration on this photo, is an important part of the food web in the Arctic Ocean.
Arctic Bites We watched a mama and cub polar bear today. The bears were very curious, and spent a lot of time investigating the area around the Polarstern. We were able to watch them for almost an…
These are the bunkbeds aboard the Polarstern. Our set up on the Fedorov is very similar.
Will There Be Pizza? This post is inspired by Rhys & Leo in Homer, Alaska. They asked how MOSAiC was going to get food for a year on the icebreaker and if we'll have pizza. Here on the Fedorov…
Katie Gavenu participating in Ice Watch aboard the Fedorov. Photo by Katy Human.
Like Watching Ice Grow I've been participating in a really cool program called, "Ice Watch". This program is hosted by the International Arctic Research Center. The idea is to make it as simple as…
Pressure ridges in the sea ice. When flat floes of sea ice collide with each other, sometimes pressure ridges like this form. Chunks of ice pile on top of each other, creating areas of greater thickness. When covered with snow, these pressure ridges can be important pupping habitat for ice seals. Photo by Chantelle Rose (PolarTREC 2011), Courtesy of ARCUS
We're Ramming the Sea Ice! I was on my way up to the general meeting when I felt the icebreaker come to a stop. Intrigued, I ran outside to the deck to see what was going on. Ahead of us was a big…
Polarstern in distance. Photo from Instagram #MOSAiCexpedition.
Note: This journal is being transcribed through communications from the ship to ARCUS. Location and Weather Summary Latitude 82 degrees 22.56 minutes north Longitude 120 degrees 35.91 minutes east…
A polar bear approaches the USCGC Healy icebreaker in the northern Chukchi Sea. Photo by Sandra Thornton (PolarTREC 2016), Courtesy of ARCUS
A polar bear approaches the USCGC Healy icebreaker in the northern Chukchi Sea. Photo by Sandra Thornton (PolarTREC 2016), Courtesy of ARCUS As the ship broke through the ice yesterday (26…