6 Aug 2014, by Matt Shupe [74N, 171E]:   Finally a break in the clouds. It seems that when we get into the ice the clouds like to linger, especially these low foggy clouds. They make everything seem cold and a bit dreary (but how do they make the ice feel?  Stay tuned for my… Read More

28 July 2014, by Paul Johnston [76.61 N, 147 E]: We are currently within sight of Bennett Island. This is the first land we have seen since leaving Norway on 5 July. Bennett is a piece of volcanic rock (about 60 sq. miles) with an ice cap on top. In the photo, if you look… Read More

27 July 2014, by Matt Shupe [78N, 138E]:   I played in the mud today. Well, I guess the more technical term for it is core slicing. At many stations along our course the “multi-core” is sent down to the sea bed, sinking in and extracting short sediment samples in 3” diameter tubes. Once on… Read More

26 July 2014, by Matt Shupe [78N, 137E]:   Most measurements made on this voyage are from below, either sampling water or sea-floor sediment. Each primary sampling mode has a team of people working shifts since we can arrive at a station (predefined sampling points) at any hour of the day.  Don’t forget, it is… Read More

25 July 2014, by Matt Shupe [79N, 136E]:  In a previous posting I talked a bit about the exercise out here. There is a core group of us that are fairly dedicated to routine appearances in the gym. Sometime early in the cruise a form was put on the gym door for logging kilometers on… Read More

23 July 2014, by Matt Shupe [76N, 131E]:  I’ve been onboard Oden a few times before: Six weeks in late summer 2008 on an expedition from Svalbard out towards the North Pole and back; two months ago in port in Helsingborg, Sweden; and now here for this expedition. There are a couple distinctive features about… Read More

22 July 2014, by Matt Shupe [76N, 128E]: We are operating a collection of NOAA instruments on Oden during ACSE / SWERUS.  So perhaps a few words about what these are and why they are here. Cloud Radar:  My personal favorite, this system transmits microwave pulses that reflect off of cloud particles in the atmosphere. … Read More

15 July 2014, by Paul Johnston: Life on the Oden has settled down to near normal. Many scientists are still preparing and checking things out. Hopefully today we will reach our first sampling station. When that happens, everyone will be busy, with science going on almost all the time. I’m writing this about 7:30 UT on 15… Read More

9 July 2014, by Paul Johnston: Yesterday I was short of sleep. Last night I stayed up to help Dom with radiosonde launch. We started at 11:00 PM. We launched the balloon and then killed time until 1:00. Dom went and read, and I went down and got my camera. The radiosonde receiver is on the 7th… Read More