by Matthew Shupe, CIRES/NOAA scientist and co-coordinator of MOSAiC

Parties are fun. Particularly on Polarstern when they pull out the barbecues on the working deck and make the web lab all nice inside. Tables, a bar, music, and a fantastic spread of food. Many options for the BBQ, various meats, fish, veggies, potatoes. Each person grills their own. The atmosphere is great, very relaxed, lots of smiles. And as the evening goes on, eventually the tables are moved, the music is turned up, and dancing commences. This is the formula for Polarstern parties. And today was a special party because it’s mid-summer. I like parties, and after some long days of slogging around in deep snow, I needed a break. But this was a bit of a strange time to take that break. We’ve just arrived and have tons to do. On Leg 1 we were racing the setting sun; now we are racing the melting snow and ice…The party interrupted our momentum and required cleaning out a space that is heavily used. On the bright side, it did help us to clean up some things that might have continued to be an issue… Now, even as the melt season is just getting started, the sun will actually be declining in intensity from day to day.