Calm and Persistent Ice
The Arctic threw us a challenge two weeks ago, after we finished our first five expeditions on Greenland’s west coast. We’ve been blocked by a giant ice dam pileup of thick 4-year-old ice that is preventing all boats from rounding Nunap Isua (Cape Farewell), the remote southern tip of Greenland. We cannot reach Scoresby Sound in time for our three expeditions planned for the east coast in August and September.
The story is of a strangely calm and massive field of ice that drifted southward on the east coast with a gentle tailwind (read more of this unusual event from the Greenland Ice Service at the Danish Meteorogical Institute).
Calm and persistent ice…. hmmmm.
An aerial shot of the 103-year old schooner BOWDOIN that I recorded in June. Note that the distinctive hull shape of the vessel locates the beamiest part of the boat further aft than normal, protecting the propeller from ice.
Expeditions 014 to 018
OGAP Expedition (AE-014 & 015)
Maine to St John’s Newfoundland. St John’s to Sisimiut Greenland. Our second year of boat and communication support for the Ocean Genome Atlas Project, as Leonid Moroz seeks to further characterize the plankton found in the rapidly changing Arctic and sub-Arctic waters. Read more in ArcticEarth JOURNAL (photos: Peter Molnar)
CLIMATE CHANGE INSTITUTE OF UMAINE (AE-005)
Sisimiut to Ilulissat Greenland. Director Paul Mayewski and his team continue their multi-year water sampling work on the west coast of Greenland, establishing a baseline chemistry that will help Greenlanders and others track and understand future human impact in the area. Read more from previous years of field work and findings in ArcticEarth Journal. This year, the streams and rivers were just starting to thaw as they headed north. Then they explored the northern parts of Disko Bay and the water began to run. (photos: Mariusz Potocki)
ALISON LANGLEY PHOTO WORKSHOP (AE-016)
Disko Bay. I invited colleague Alison Langley to lead an immersive photo workshop in Disko Bay. It proved very popular. Look for an upcoming story about Greenland ice in Maine Boats Homes & Harbors, by Polly Saltonstall. (photos: Alison Langley)
DISKO BAY (AE-017)
Maine Maritime Academy’s 103-year-old Arctic Schooner Bowdoin sailed in convoy with ArcticEarth, to benefit from our ice piloting experience (Capt Magnus Day) and my work as a filmmaker. The Bowdoin is the oldest active Arctic research vessel currently in operation, as well as the official sailing vessel of the State of Maine. Explorations before and after our time with the Bowdoin included a visit to the fast-changing town of Ilulissat and a very close encounter with a hungry humpback whale. More to share about this expedition in future ArcticEarth JOURNALs. (photos: David Conover)
WEST COAST TRANSIT w/ BOWDOIN COLLEGE STUDENTS (AE-018)
Disko Bay to Paamiut. En route to the south (and the calm and persistent ice residing therein) Magnus and Julia and guest Michael Spencer were ably assisted by Bowdoin College students Caleb McDaniels and Henry Penfold, who were in Greenland on a multi-element ski-hike-kayak adventure and research trip this summer. They came upon a decaying sperm whale, cause of death unknown. (photos: Henry Penfold, Magnus Day)
