By Andreas Muenchow, University of Delaware | Peter and I could hear the swoosh of our ocean sensors breaching the surface like a whale taking a deep breath before s/he dives down again. Only after the “swoosh” did we see the yellow, blue, and red tones of the sensor packet bobbing at the … [Read more...]
By Susanne Lunz and Christoph Knöfel | Sometimes one has to move quickly. We got the green light for our first flight after the daily weather brief in the morning which is short and sweet. We have half an hour to get ready, collect our gear, move it up stairs to the helicopter deck, don into the … [Read more...]
By Michaela Meier | Everyone knows that I get sea sick, and I hate sea sickness. So, why am I here and what am I doing? I study earthquakes below the oceans off Africa, India, and in the Arctic. My teacher and mentor Vera Schlindwein at the AWI asked me about 6 months ago to drop 4 instruments … [Read more...]
Andreas Muenchow, University of Delaware, USA | A storm closed the deck of R/V Polarstern on our first day at sea. Within hours of leaving port in Tromso, Norway, with its sheltered fjords, mountains, and rocks, we entered the open Barents Sea where winds and waves hit us hard. Water splashed … [Read more...]
By Richard Jones, Durham University | Huddled at the waterfront of Tromso, Arctic Norway, I joined a large group of fellow scientists for my first scientific cruise – actually, the first time on any form of boat for longer than a day – so 5 weeks at sea seemed daunting. I was both excited and … [Read more...]
By Rafael Lazo Perez | The glaciers of Spitzbergen say goodbye to us while we departure slowly from this magnificent archipelago. The waves splash around the ship and make wet the deck, where we are having our final BBQ. A familiar feeling floats in the atmosphere. After four weeks of hard work … [Read more...]
By Rafael Lazo Perez | The ship trembles while we slowly advance through the ice. A crack appears in the ice piece blocking our way. The ship cracks it into two pieces resembling the school charts that show the separation of the continents. We are approaching to Greenland and ice is becoming a … [Read more...]
By Rafael Laso Perez | Tac, tac, tac. The sound of the peristaltic pumps helps to stay awake at 4:00 AM in the lab. We just got some water samples from the deep sea and need to process them as soon as possible. After sampling a couple of stations, the procedure has become an enjoyable routine … [Read more...]
By Rafael Laso Perez | The excitement runs through my veins. In a couple of hours we will arrive to S3, my first sampling station of the PS107 cruise, which researches the Fram Strait, the gate to the Arctic Ocean. It is 20:00 o’clock and although I should get some rest for the night sampling, I … [Read more...]
By Benjamin Lange | Arctic sea ice thickness and extent have undergone significant changes over the past ~30 years. The observed changes are actually much greater than predicted by even the best global climate models for the Arctic Ocean. In addition, sea ice thickness and volume are key indicators … [Read more...]
