Friday, the 8th of January

Reaching the Polarcircle

Photo Credit: Ulrich Breitsprecher and Matt Konfist

After crossing the polar circle, we are now surrounded by the icebergs we had hoped to see. I counted 35 during my morning whale watch on the bridge. The view is unbelievable and the hard-drive of my Mac is filling up with photos. The sea is quiet. There are both types of icebergs: enormous floating masses and tiny blue-green sculptures. Each of them gives a sense of quietude and calm that carries over the observer. I stop and stare and can hardly turn my gaze away. Only the spray of the bow cuts through the waves and the distant sound of Polarstern's motor breaks the silence.

 

Ulrich Breitsprecher and Matt Konfist

The Swedish Committee for IPY have produced a report entitled 'Polar Shifts:Sweden and the International Polar Year 2007-2008 ' to inform all interested parties, including the wider public, politicians, Arctic residents, financiers and researchers, about the International Polar Year, with an emphasis on the Swedish efforts. This report, containing some wonderful images, can be downloaded in both Swedish and English. For more information about IPY activities in Sweden, please visit the IPY Sweden website.

For more information on polar research in Sweden, please visit the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat website.

Thursday, the 7th of January

James Cook and us

It is 0 degrees outside, cold and icy, and I am lying on my bed in a comfortable 22 degrees reading a biography on James Cook, the explorer. It makes me wonder how comfortable this cruise on the Polarstern is compared to what Cook and his crew went through in the old days of seafaring.

Cook fared through these perilous seas for the second time between 1772 – 1775 and discovered many of the Southern Pacific islands and archipelagos. He came within 75 miles of the Antarctic coast and crossed south of 71°S. At present (as of 8th January 2010) we are at 66.38°S and have recently left Polar area behind.

Cook writes, “Ambition drives me not only further than any person before, but as far as it is possible for man to be driven.”

With the Resolution, a coal ship, he had traveled 70,000 miles with 123 men on board. There were 462 tonnes of coal to accomplish such a mission. During that expedition, four men had died due to accidents and one died of Tubercolosis. Such were the pitfalls of seafaring, adventurous, yet treacherous, in every step of the way!

Photo Credit: Ulrich Breitsprecher and Matt Konfist

In the southern ocean, Cook spent 117 days without laying eyes on land. There was slated pork, beef, biscuits, and as a special treat for breakfast in the cold regions, a glass of brandy to warm up the seamen. Cook also brought jam made from carrots as protection against scurvy, additionally cheese and oatmeal. All in all, a seaman during Cooks time took in 4,500 calories a day. During his second journey to the south, rations became so short, even sealions made their way into the menu. The seamen didn't find them so tasty.

For comparison, let's look at today's menu on Polarstern: Peasoup, Filet of Cod, served "Finkenwerder Art", mashed potatoes, rice, fruit, and of course along with it, your choice of tea or coffee.

Photo Credit: Jürgen Gossler

To compare it with Cooks ship, Resolution, Polarstern is 117,91 m long, 25 m wide and 52,21 m tall at it's highest point. The ship has a draft of 11,21 m and weighs 10.878,52 tons. Polarstern is an icebreaker and the steal hull in the bow is as much as 7 cm thick.

During our travel we have a lot of space and security. Double rooms, hot showers, a gym, a sauna, lounges and a number of specialized laboratories make life and work aboard comfortable. Additionally, we have 40 people less than Cook's ship.

For me, one of the clearest differences is that Cook travelled in as yet unknown region. He didn't know what awaited him and had with him only as the latest technological advancement a chronometer, which could keep precised time while at sea. In contrast, we are using the most up-to-date maps and satellite-supported navigation systems.

Polarstern can measure not only the seafloor, but also the depth of the sediment layers with it's instruments. Even when the route has hardly been travelled, we know where we are.

For both expeditions however, one thing remains the same. Only nautical knowledge and the experience of both science and crew are able to bring success to the expedition. Cook had it, we will also.

Ulrich Breitsprecher and Matt Konfist

 

Well, the phrase “holiday season” signifies, generally to the world population, the time between Christmas and New Year’s. In the last edition, I talked about a fulfilling Christmas celebration coloured with Christmas buddy gifts, chocolates, parties, delicious food and icebergs. The same trend continues this edition into the New Year’s Eve celebration, birthday parties, and Mid-Cruise get-together amidst all the workload, which seemed to have increased. The reason for such is that we were chasing a weather window until the 1st of January, after which bad weather was expected, and which therefore deemed it necessary to finish most of the coring station work before the bad weather came towards us. Hence, the holiday season was hectic with work but also double the fun with all the celebrations. It was almost as the saying goes, “You only deserve to be in warm water if you put your feet in cold water first”.

A very important aspect of marine research is the coring of sediments. There are many ways in which sediments can be brought on board on a research vessel - through the help of a Gravity corer, a Piston corer or a Box corer. All three work with different principles of weight and pressure and provide the scientists with different amounts of sediments to work on. To proffer an example from this research cruise, the Gravity corer was used when we had bad weather and heavy waves, as it falls through the water column under the principle of gravity with a heavy weight on top of the core which helps the core to immerse into the deep ocean sediments. A piston core on the other hand works with a more stable winch system and is used in calmer weather as heavy machinery is used to precisely lower the coring device through the water column and into the sediments. The length of these cores can be anything between 10 to 30 m long.

Photo credit: Oliver Esper

Content:

1) Oslo!
2) Changes in IPO

We urge the IPY community to respond quickly and enthusiastically to the upcoming opportunities and deadlines for the IPY Oslo Science Conference, 8-12 June 2010.

Abstract deadline - 20 January 2010

ALL INFORMATION AT http://www.ipy-osc.no/

For IPY Participants - We believe the list of sessions provides a home for almost any IPY research topic. We have a review process in place to ensure that every abstract gets prompt, careful and fair evaluation.

For IPY Projects - You have great science to share, but also great outreach stories to tell. Every project should highlight its outreach activities by submitting abstracts to Theme 6, in addition to submitting science abstracts.

For early career scientists - The conference has generous support options for early career scientists!

For teachers - The conference has a workshop and stipends for you!

For filmmakers - The conference has opened a Polar Cinema for polar films and television documentaries.

ALL INFORMATION AT http://www.ipy-osc.no/

The best polar science in a great location - please join us!


2) Changes in IPO

We welcome Nicola Munro back to action in the IPO. Nicola will take primary responsibility for education, for the March 2010 polar week, and for concluding activities by the IPY National Committees and Projects. Melissa Deets will continue in the IPO, with primary responsibility for the web site and for the IPO Oslo preparations. We will undertake several other wrap-up activities together, including archiving our collections of IPY records and materials. We welcome your questions or suggestions.

Final Reminder: Submit a Presentation Abstract for the State of the Arctic Conference

16-19 March 2010
Miami, Florida

Extended deadline, oral presentation abstracts: Monday, 11 January 2010
Deadline, poster presentation abstracts: Monday, 1 February 2010

To submit an abstract, please go to:
http://soa.arcus.org/abstracts

---------------------
Abstract deadlines for the State of the Arctic conference:
- Extended deadline, oral presentation abstracts: Monday, 11 January 2010
- Deadline, poster presentation abstracts: Monday, 1 February 2010

There is no fee for abstract submission. To submit an abstract, please
go to: http://soa.arcus.org/abstracts. Abstracts on previously published
work are acceptable.

Abstracts focused on social science and human dimensions research are
encouraged to ensure a balanced, multi-disciplinary program.

The State of the Arctic Conference will be held 16-19 March 2010 at the
Hyatt Regency Miami. The conference will be a major milestone for arctic
science by reviewing the current knowledge of the Arctic in a time of
rapid environmental change and exploring future research, resource
management, and policy directions.

Confirmed keynote speakers include:
- Jane Lubchenco, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and
Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator
- Marianne Lykke Thomsen, Greenland Department of Foreign Affairs
and Arctic Council
- Vera Metcalf, Eskimo Walrus Commission
- Robert W. Corell, The Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, The
Climate Action Initiative

Additional plenary talks will address four main themes:
1. Advances in Understanding the Arctic System, Including Human
Dimensions;
2. Arctic Change;
3. Linkages to the Earth System; and
4. Human Dimensions of Arctic Change.

An international panel will discuss "Intersections Between Science and
Policy in a Changing Arctic." Parallel sessions and poster sessions for
each theme will provide extensive opportunities for the community to
share and discuss research results and network with other researchers,
agency personnel, policy makers, stakeholders, and media. The fourth day
of the conference will focus on international coordination.

The latest program can be found at:
http://soa.arcus.org/program.

PARALLEL AND POSTER SESSIONS - SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT!
Abstracts are now being accepted for oral parallel sessions and posters.
There are 18 session topics, which have been structured to facilitate
cross-disciplinary exchange and discussion. Each session is designed to
incorporate abstracts from the social, physical, natural, and political
sciences, as well as resource management and agency perspectives.

There is no fee for abstract submission. To submit an abstract, please
go to: http://soa.arcus.org/abstracts. Abstracts on previously published
work are acceptable.

REGISTRATION
The early-bird registration deadline is Sunday, 31 January 2010. To
register for the conference, please go to: http://soa.arcus.org/register.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
For further information, please go to: http://soa.arcus.org. Be sure to
check the website regularly for updates and new features.

For questions regarding abstract submission, please contact:
Judy Fahnestock, ARCUS
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

For questions regarding registration, please email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

For questions about the conference program, please contact:
Helen Wiggins, ARCUS
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

23 December 2009

Whales

Today around 09:30 ship's time, two finback whales appeared on the starboard side of the ship. We're now crossed south of 60°G and are required to have whale watchers on bridge when we stop to take samples. We watched for whales the whole night long and into the early morning hours. Nothing! Only after we had steamed quite a ways toward the next station we get the call from the bridge: Whales!!! Dropping everything that we were doing, the whole ship stormed off to the bridge with our cameras in hand. First at a distance, but then coming closer, we could see the spray coming from their blowholes. In the end, the animals were only 150m away from the edge of the boat, and it was a magnificent show to observe them. After a few minutes, they lost interest in the Polarstern and made their way west. What remains are the photos. One of them you can see here. I hope I'll be able to share more experiences like this with you.

Best wishes,

Ulrich Breitsprecher

Translation: Matt Konfirst

Photo: Ulrich Breitsprecher

Christmas without darkness

I wish you the very best and some relaxed days. Although it's always bright, the temperature is ilk in winter. The christmas tree is still in the refrigerated hold, but the preparations for christmas have already started.

So I wish you merry christmas and a happy new year.

Ulrich Breitsprecher

 

A ship or boat is an extraordinary invention! It could be as simple as a plain wooden or rubber raft with paddles that can tread the seas (albeit with some difficulty) or it could be as complex as a research vessel with multiple engines, winches and holders to put scientific instruments up and down the water column, composite laboratories that hold even more intricate instruments, living facilities that can be compared to a cruise ship and safety control devices required to pace the rough polar waters and ice. I am happy to say that we're on the latter on this expedition, which endures through some jagged Antarctic conditions!

Abhinav Gogoi & Ulrich Breitsprecher