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Instead of disappearing from Twitter for fieldwork for the next 35 days, I'll guide a virtual expedition, with an ice-sheet post every day for the next 35 days.
Day 1/35 - Stepping off the C-130 at Camp Raven skiway. Ah, the feeling of walking on squeaky snow!
Day 1/35 - Stepping off the C-130 at Camp Raven skiway. Ah, the feeling of walking on squeaky snow!
Day 2/35 - Here's the view from the "shigloo".
If the etymology is not self-evident – this is where you answer nature’s call. It’s certainly a room with a view, but it’s rarely conducive to lingering with a newspaper.
If the etymology is not self-evident – this is where you answer nature’s call. It’s certainly a room with a view, but it’s rarely conducive to lingering with a newspaper.
Day 3/35 – Ice-sheet Bedouins.
Here, Mike MacFerrin ( @IceSheetMike) is getting ready to move his 6-person camp about 125 km between breakfast and dinner. Items are always falling off the sleds. It’s a good day if the convoy holds a 20 km/hr pace.
Here, Mike MacFerrin ( @IceSheetMike) is getting ready to move his 6-person camp about 125 km between breakfast and dinner. Items are always falling off the sleds. It’s a good day if the convoy holds a 20 km/hr pace.
Day 4/35 - Sapphire Supraglacial Stream
Camping on the ice sheet is a pretty soggy affair during the summer melt season. But this stream was a super-handy water source; way better than melting pots of snow!
Just be cautious of the downstream moulin.
Camping on the ice sheet is a pretty soggy affair during the summer melt season. But this stream was a super-handy water source; way better than melting pots of snow!
Just be cautious of the downstream moulin.
Day 5/35 – Working the Nightshift
Here's Aleah Sommers enjoying a late night – technically, early morning – chai while pump-testing the near-surface firn. Sure, there’s 24-hour daylight during polar day, but it gets way effing colder at night!
Here's Aleah Sommers enjoying a late night – technically, early morning – chai while pump-testing the near-surface firn. Sure, there’s 24-hour daylight during polar day, but it gets way effing colder at night!
Day 6/35 - Icehenge
This jumble of bus-sized ice blocks caught our eye. We suspect the ice-sheet surface flexed violently the previous summer, possibly by a supraglacial lake draining via hydrofracture.
That's a Jay Zwally for near-field scale.
This jumble of bus-sized ice blocks caught our eye. We suspect the ice-sheet surface flexed violently the previous summer, possibly by a supraglacial lake draining via hydrofracture.
That's a Jay Zwally for near-field scale.
Day 7/35 - There's always wind!
Don't be fooled by the blue sky, there's always wind. It's a pain setting up the kitchen tent before dinner. I clearly find the easiest way is to pick up a camera and encourage other people to do it.
Don't be fooled by the blue sky, there's always wind. It's a pain setting up the kitchen tent before dinner. I clearly find the easiest way is to pick up a camera and encourage other people to do it.
Day 8/35 - Snack Culture
Where there's Austrians, there's speck! Here are Daniel Binder & Jakob Abermann enjoying a 'light' tea break.
Our snack culture hits a crescendo during bad weather days, when our grazing just turns into a non-stop rotation through tastes and textures.
Where there's Austrians, there's speck! Here are Daniel Binder & Jakob Abermann enjoying a 'light' tea break.
Our snack culture hits a crescendo during bad weather days, when our grazing just turns into a non-stop rotation through tastes and textures.
Day 9/35 - Ice-Sheet Abyss
Here's looking straight down into a mini-moulin. It has been eroding upstream, towards the right, sculpting the entrance.
The preferential absorption of red wavelengths by ice makes the abyss appear increasingly deeper blue with depth.
Here's looking straight down into a mini-moulin. It has been eroding upstream, towards the right, sculpting the entrance.
The preferential absorption of red wavelengths by ice makes the abyss appear increasingly deeper blue with depth.
Day 10/35 - Cold Distillation
The freezing point of 40% whiskey is -27°C. Here's what whiskey looks like at -39°C. It turns cloudy when it freezes!
Although all whiskeys identify as 40%, I have noticed substantial variation in their actual freezing points.
Horst Machguth
The freezing point of 40% whiskey is -27°C. Here's what whiskey looks like at -39°C. It turns cloudy when it freezes!
Although all whiskeys identify as 40%, I have noticed substantial variation in their actual freezing points.
Horst Machguth
Day 11/35 - Daily Meltwater Pulse
Here's a time-lapse video of a meltwater stream that Dan McGrath and I recorded 11(!) years ago. See the small gauging station? It's about 50 m upstream of the monster moulin that swallows this stream.
Here's a time-lapse video of a meltwater stream that Dan McGrath and I recorded 11(!) years ago. See the small gauging station? It's about 50 m upstream of the monster moulin that swallows this stream.
Day 12/35 - Polar Bear Country
It's easy to see the polar bear wire in this photo. It runs around the entire perimeter of camp. A narrow corridor between two wires forms the entrance into the camp.
Obviously, false alarms don't improve sleep quality!
It's easy to see the polar bear wire in this photo. It runs around the entire perimeter of camp. A narrow corridor between two wires forms the entrance into the camp.
Obviously, false alarms don't improve sleep quality!
Day 13/35 - Ice Drill: Business End
This model can reach depths of just over 300 meters with a dry borehole. Beyond that, you need a fluid-filled borehole to prevent the ice from deforming closed.
Fun fact: Coconut oil has almost the exact same density as ice!
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This model can reach depths of just over 300 meters with a dry borehole. Beyond that, you need a fluid-filled borehole to prevent the ice from deforming closed.
Fun fact: Coconut oil has almost the exact same density as ice!
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Day 14/35 - Frosty Wake-Up
Sleeping tents are generally unheated. Here's what your glasses look like when you wake up in the morning.
The temperature inside the tent is usually within a few degrees of the temperature outside.
Sleeping tents are generally unheated. Here's what your glasses look like when you wake up in the morning.
The temperature inside the tent is usually within a few degrees of the temperature outside.
Day 15/35 - Surrounded by Horizon
Here's Samira Samimi ( @SamiraSamimi_SZ) getting ready for a snowmobile ride. You definitely want to bundle up!
From the reflection in her goggles, you can see the pancake-flat horizon in the ice sheet interior.
Here's Samira Samimi ( @SamiraSamimi_SZ) getting ready for a snowmobile ride. You definitely want to bundle up!
From the reflection in her goggles, you can see the pancake-flat horizon in the ice sheet interior.
Day 16/35 - Everyone Loves Radar!
Here's a side-view of some ice-penetrating radar in action.
Dirk van As ( @DirkvanAs) is driving, Karina Hansen is passengering, and Ken Mankoff ( @mankoff) is in the sled interpreting the data in real-time.
Note the bamboo crossmembers!
Here's a side-view of some ice-penetrating radar in action.
Dirk van As ( @DirkvanAs) is driving, Karina Hansen is passengering, and Ken Mankoff ( @mankoff) is in the sled interpreting the data in real-time.
Note the bamboo crossmembers!
Day 17/35 - Hark, An Overflight!
Here's the IceBridge team ( @NASA_ICE) passing low-and-slow. You can see funny-shaped radar housings and tiny laser ports.
Fun fact: This particular aircraft is known as "Miss Piggy" and she's had her wings replaced in the Arizona desert.
Here's the IceBridge team ( @NASA_ICE) passing low-and-slow. You can see funny-shaped radar housings and tiny laser ports.
Fun fact: This particular aircraft is known as "Miss Piggy" and she's had her wings replaced in the Arizona desert.
Day 18/35 - Working the Night Shift (again)
Polar Day means that you can service instruments around the clock. That can be both a good thing, and a bad thing!
Here's a night-raid to an automatic weather station, after being hunkered down at camp for a few days.
Polar Day means that you can service instruments around the clock. That can be both a good thing, and a bad thing!
Here's a night-raid to an automatic weather station, after being hunkered down at camp for a few days.
Day 19/35 - Ice-Sheet Margin
We usually spend all our time in the ice-sheet interior, but occasionally we do get to the margin.
Here's a meltwater stream undercutting an ice cliff, where the ice sheet meets the tundra.
We usually spend all our time in the ice-sheet interior, but occasionally we do get to the margin.
Here's a meltwater stream undercutting an ice cliff, where the ice sheet meets the tundra.
Day 20/35 - Core Logging
It's super-expensive to cold-transport ice cores back to the lab. We usually make field measurements instead.
Here's Anne Solgaard measuring density -- every 10 cm -- on an almost mercifully windless day.
It's super-expensive to cold-transport ice cores back to the lab. We usually make field measurements instead.
Here's Anne Solgaard measuring density -- every 10 cm -- on an almost mercifully windless day.
Day 21/35 - Drifting Snow
We set our tents in a line perpendicular to prevailing winds. But sometimes the wind shifts, causing upwind tents to drift-in downwind tents.
Here's the excavation of a tent from a 1-meter snowdrift that collected overnight.
We set our tents in a line perpendicular to prevailing winds. But sometimes the wind shifts, causing upwind tents to drift-in downwind tents.
Here's the excavation of a tent from a 1-meter snowdrift that collected overnight.
Day 22/35 - Hydrofracture!?
One night, we hear a sustained rumble outside the tents. We find the nearby supraglacial lake is rapidly draining into a huge fracture in the ice. It's a noisy waterfall!
Here's a Dan McGrath for scale. He's standing on the scalloped former lakebed.
One night, we hear a sustained rumble outside the tents. We find the nearby supraglacial lake is rapidly draining into a huge fracture in the ice. It's a noisy waterfall!
Here's a Dan McGrath for scale. He's standing on the scalloped former lakebed.
Day 23/35 - Louder Than It Looks
Driving a snowmobile off a C130 is rather challenging!
The snowmobile doesn't want to turn on -- its been drained to a last tea cup of fuel -- and the aircraft engines are so loud that your only feedback from the snowmobile engine is vibrations.
Driving a snowmobile off a C130 is rather challenging!
The snowmobile doesn't want to turn on -- its been drained to a last tea cup of fuel -- and the aircraft engines are so loud that your only feedback from the snowmobile engine is vibrations.
