Arctic Sea Ice

For some reason, people seem captivated by pictures of the Arctic. Here are some I took during an oceanographic research cruise to the Arctic Ocean in April of 2004. We drilled holes in the sea ice to put our instruments down into the water. You can read more about this adventure in my E-book describing it: Ice and Wind: Standing on the Arctic Ocean.

The ice is a translucent aqua-marine color.

 

Ice can be piled up as much as 15 feet or so high.

 

Most of the ice we were drilling was about two meters thick, although one scary day it was maybe a foot!

 

Sometimes the color of the ice could take your breath away.

 

Drilling the hole for our instruments.

 

Perparing to sample in the tent we have put up over the drill hole.

 

Our first hint polar bears might be around!

 

A polar bear sow and yearling cub at our next drilling location.

 

Hot car in the parking lot of the Prudhoe Bay Hotel.

 

Prudhoe Bay General Store. It is going to have to warm up some from the current 30 below zero to play tennis. I guess that explains the half inch of dust on the tops of the cans!

 

The ship's crew. Sarah Olivo, John Christensen, Claude Belzile, and David Fanning.