I didn’t tell you yet about a super cool instrument that was deployed out on the ice the day we got to get off the ship and walk on the ice ourselves. So let’s “return to the ice” for a minute. (I still can’t get over these photos – they look like they belong in a nature or science magazine, but we were actually there!) Irina Repina’s group installed a Meteorological, or “Met” Tower on the ice, and in the photo you can see Irina and her team working on it. Here’s how this one works: it measures wind speed and direction in 3 dimensions (using a sonic anemometer), as well as temperature. The idea is that they can then calculate the turbulent fluxes (in other words, the heat and momentum exchange) acting at the boundary between the ice and the atmosphere. One of the different things about this installation, as compared with the buoys I told you about before, is that we leave the buoys there to take measurements long after we leave, and the Met Tower was put up then taken down before we left. So it only took measurements for about 6 or 7 hours, while people were physically on the ice – and there is a good reason for that. As you can imagine, the ship is its own source of heat and turbulence, so these measurements need can only be done out on the ice!
Do the different colors of the ice mean anything related to the ice thickness?
Hi Amanda, yes, generally the colors of the ice are dependent on thickness, and the development stages of ice (which relate to its age) have to do with light and optics: when ice begins to form, it is thin and starts out as transparent, then as it gets thicker with time, it becomes grey, white, teal, then blue (these can be subtle but distinct transitions). Also, the inclusion of living organisms or sediment can also change the color of the ice.
Hello Lindsay, my name is Danyl Hernandez and I’m a student from Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial. I wanted to know did you and the other scientists take shifts keeping a eye on the machine? Or did you all go inside and stay warm.
Hi Danyl, yes, we have ship operations going all the time, so some of the crew is always on shift, night and day, to take care of the ship’s navigation, and some scientists are always on shift, night and day, to run the equipment and experiments, no matter when we get to our planned “stations” in the water!
How have the arctic cyclones affect the weather? Have any scientist on board develop any instrument to detect and resolve this issue?
Hi Wendy, Arctic cyclones actually occur pretty frequently, but are mostly weak. However, with more ice-free water in the Arctic as the climate is changing, they are getting stronger. For example, we were affected by a cyclone a couple days ago, when the swells were up to 12 feet high and rocking the ship. We do meteorological observations constantly onboard with instruments that allow us to detect changes in temperature and atmospheric pressure, which help us monitor upcoming cyclone events that could affect our ship route (and anyone susceptible to seasickness)!
Hi Lindsay,
I was wondering about the meteorological tower you guys used. What do the measurements of “heat and momentum exchange” tell you? I dont think I understand what it is you need these measurements for. Could you explain a little more?
Hi Sabrina, basically they are trying to measure the radiation balance between the atmosphere and the sea ice. The flow of air/heat is not only in one direction, so they need data in 3 dimensions. The goal is to find out whether the ocean is heating or cooling over the summer, depending on ice conditions. In speaking to the head atmospheric scientist on this team, Irina, I learned a lot more details myself about the instrument and the research, and I think you might have just inspired a future blog entry with more details. So check back in a day or two and find out more!
Hi Lindsay, in the many days you’ve been in the Arctic , what are the few things that have caught your attention the most and why?
Hi Grethel, hmmm, I think the different colors of ice is one of the coolest things here. You think of ice being white, but really depending on the thickness, whether it formed near land or not, and if there has been any melting or refreezing, it can be the brighter and darker shades, and even the most amazing shades of blue and green you have ever seen.
When you walked on the ice did it dissolve or did it crack from weight on the ice?
Dear Zayna, no the ice is super solid under our own feet. It takes the ship to break ice this thick – ice was almost 5 feet thick, which is pretty impressive.
Hi Lindsay, I understand that in order to participate in an expedition like this you would have to have a vast knowledge in math and science but did you have to participate in a specific training to prepare you for the harsh weather and how to deal with it?
Dear Ja’Kara, we did not have to participate in an official training, but I can promise that we had many discussions about safety prior to the expedition, about what gear to bring with you and what to expect. Here are a few things you may not have thought about – steel-toed boots are important if you are going to be working with heavy equipment, sunscreen and sunglasses are important to be outside (there’s the Sun, and also the ice is white and bright), and any medication that you can possibly thin you’d need, bring it with you, because you won’t find it once you’re here. Once we got onboard, the first day we had a mandatory safety training and emergency practice (for example, if we hear 7 short blasts and 1 long blasts of the ship’s horn, we grab the life jackets and meet at our designated place at the emergency lifeboats. Thankfully we haven’t needed that.
Hi Lindsay, What is the exact purpose of the Meteorological or “Met” Tower and how would you use the information contracted from the “Met” Tower? What can this information tell us?
Hi Ja’Kara, the Met Tower is used to understand the radiation balance between the atmosphere and the sea ice, meaning how heat and air flows between the two. Scientists want to learn more about how ice conditions are related to the heating or cooling of the ocean over the summer. A couple people have asked more about the Met Tower, and I have just gotten some more information from our chief atmospheric scientists onboard, Irina. So I think you have been part of my inspiration to write a blog entry about the met tower. Check back in a day or two to learn more!
How long does it take to set up the met tower?
Hi Angel, it didn’t take long to set up the met tower – it was only out on the ice for several hours in total, so it is a quick set-up and take-down process.
Hey Lindsay, I am a sophomore at Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial High School. My Intensive Math teacher Ms.Gilbert and the class took a day to discuss about what you do. This questions came to mind: Is it difficult to explore and expand experiences in the Arctic if you suffer from any diseases or medical conditions? If so, what types?
Hi Zenaida, I LOVE that you and your class took time to discuss some things I have shared with you on the blog about this Arctic adventure! Thank you for that! As for your question, there is a medical doctor onboard, so if anyone gets sick, there is a doctor and a small clinic here to take care of you. The conditions outside can be harsh of course, and there are a lot of ways that you need to be careful on the ship too (like walking on stairs when the ship is rocking in the waves) or not slipping on the icy deck outside. Anyone in reasonably good health would be ok I think, although it would depend on the person, and the condition that he or she has, and what his or her regular doctor would recommend. It’s a hard question, because there are so many kinds of conditions, that I don’t think I can answer more specifically than that, but I can say that it is definitely a privilege to be able to be here.
Hi My Name Is Sharon Vazquez I Am A Student From Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wondering How Do The Artic Cyclones Affect The Weather ? And How Do You And Your Friends Manage The Machine Do You Guys Stand There And Watch Or Do You Guys Just Go Indoor ?
Dear Sharon, cyclones are weak but relatively frequent occurrences in the Arctic. But as a whole they tend to be getting stronger as the climate is changing, due to the decrease of sea ice and the presence of more ice-free waters. We had a cyclone a couple days ago, and the water was so rocky (swells up to 12 feet), that no one was allowed to go outside, because it was too icy and slippery on deck!
Hi, my name is Lauren and I am a student at Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial High School and I was just wondering.. How does the different time zone over there affect the way you work?
Hi Lauren, the time zones (and time itself) have been really odd onboard. The ship has stayed on Norway’s time zone, since that’s where we left port (that is 6 hours ahead of Miami). But we have traveled halfway around the world, which means that sometimes when our clocks said noon, it was really the middle of the night according to the Sun and the time zone that we’re in!
Hey Lindsay! I was wondering what formula do we need to know to calculate the turbulent fluxes, you mentioned in this blog post? I would like to know if possible we (students) can recreate or attempt to recreate any of the cool experiments you guys have done?
Dear Yanelis, that is a great question. There is no one formula or equation I can give you on the blog here, because it’s a pretty complex process. But I love that you asked about recreating any part of the experiment at home or in your classroom! In the next day or two I will be posting an update with more information about the Met Tower, so let us think about that and check back in a day or two to see!
Hello linsday! I wanted to ask why are you guys trying to even find out about these things? Is it gonna help u in some kind of good way
Hi Joseph, the things that scientists are trying to find out here (including the atmosphere, the ocean, and the ice), will help our understanding of the Arctic, and how the Arctic climate affects the global climate – and vice versa. So I would say definitely yes to your second question, because the more we understand the climate, the more that we (both individuals and governments) can make informed decisions to help protect the climate for all of us! 🙂
Hello, Lindsay. Wow, the devices you guys get the opportunity to use are so cool! I’ve been wondering this for a while: What mechanisms are at play in the formation and decay of Arctic sea ice? Would the mechanisms involved differ depending on whether the water is salty or fresh, calm or rough, etc?
Hi Jennifer, that is a great and really complex question! Scientists here are studying all aspects of the Arctic climate – some concentrate on the atmosphere, some the ocean, or the ice, and some combine data from all of those things into computer models in order to understand how all those things work together. The things you look at when considering sea ice growth and melt are temperature and salinity (salt content). There is an annual cycle that includes an ice growth and ice melt season, which correspond to temperature. The temperature of the water is also affected by the salinity – fresh water has a higher freezing point than saltwater, so the saltier the water, the colder the water needs to be before it starts to form ice. In saltwater, once ice crystals start to form and ice thickens, salt is “rejected” into the ocean. In the annual melt season, the increase in solar radiation as it becomes summer increases the air temperature and causes surface melt, which contributes to further ice melt. In this season, ice is also melting from beneath, due to the heat stored in the seawater from solar radiation and warmer currents from other areas. As for other atmospheric effects, wind influences how ice forms, deforms, and moves, all three of which are related to the annual growth and melt cycle. So it’s all connected!