Today we explored a very big floe, probably the biggest spatially in the whole region. Could this be our home for the next year? Extensive coverage of what look like frozen over melt ponds. Many measurements of 30-50 cm ice. This is not what we came to the central Arctic to find; it will not… Read More

A couple of slow days…. Well, there is always something to do. We have a daunting task ahead of us. First finding the floe, then getting set up. Lots of discussion on the first of these with differing opinions. In the end it comes down to a balance between science drivers, which would push towards… Read More

Into the ice today. What a great feeling to be back here! It is always thrilling to cross the ice edge. Here it was very loose as the winds have been blowing “off ice” towards us for a couple of days. Little floes here and there with progressively more appearing on the horizon. And just… Read More

“Angular” and “transforming.” Amy Richman (a CU Boulder videography graduate student aboard) asked me today to describe the Arctic. Angular >>> so many facets of ice, surfaces, rays of light. Transforming because it is always evolving…. Melting, freezing, drifting, breaking, changing color. It is never the same, never static. Finding my way to a better… Read More

A day at sea now. Tired. Perhaps it is part of getting my sea legs, and perhaps it is part due to sleeping 9 hours last night. First long sleep in a long time. Turned in early after our launch. No socializing. Feeling a bit melancholy. I think I haven’t yet processed the concept of… Read More