Kati points out some of the first pieces of floating sea ice sighted on our cruise. Photo by Brett Longworth My name is Kati Gosnell and I’m a graduate student in the Florida State University Oceanography Department, studying chemical oceanography. Currently trucking through my second year in the department, I’m working under the guidance of Dr. William Landing. My focus is in trace metals, so I get to clean a lot of bottles. There is a lot of trace metal action going on in my little world aboard the Research Vessel Roger Revelle. For this research cruise I am helping to sample for iron...

The National Academy of Sciences together with the National Science Foundation held a celebration on 6 April 2009 to recognize the achievements of the International Polar Year 2007-2008 (IPY). The meeting included highlights of IPY projects, including such topics as climate change, sea ice stability, Antarctic ecosystems, and people in the Arctic. Presentation videos detailing various aspects of IPY research are available on the NSF website. Posted presentations include: - "Welcoming and Opening Remarks," by James White, Ralph J. Cicerone, and Arden L. Bement, Jr.; - "How the Past Informs the Future," by Richard Alley, Pennsylvania State University;...

FSU IPY Cruise: Meet FSU Oceanography Post-Doctoral Associate Angela “Angie” Milne On deck of R/V Roger Revelle, against the backdrop of a tabular iceberg, Angie Milne, who suffers in Florida’s heat, enjoys Nature’s finest air conditioning. Photo by Charlene Grall “Hi, I’m Angie Milne, visiting FSU as a post-doctoral associate with Professor Bill Landing.” Angie’s an ocean-connected gal. Growing up in seaside Blackpool, England, Angie says, “I ‘packed in’ a job in the service field of insurance and pensions for the allure of exotic travel. This kindled my environmental interest...

Exactly one year ago today, The University of Alaska Fairbanks began a 5 month expedition to Arctic Alaska to study glacier response to climate change and their influence on the local ecosystems, as part of our contribution to IPY. The major accomplishments of that effort include: Extracting nearly 500 m of ice core from three holes in the glacier, Bringing 170 m of this back to civilization to study paleoclimate in this region, Installing thermistor strings to measure ice temperature throughout each of the three core holes, Conducted shallow coring to investigate the processes of internal accumulation on the glacier, Measured stage and discharge of the outlet stream throughout the summer,...

The GeoNorth 2009 conference, 4-6 August in Fairbanks, Alaska, is a unique opportunity to discuss issues and present current research related to geospatial activities in the arctic environment. This conference provides an opportunity to present results associated with the International Polar Year (IPY), environment and climate change monitoring and geographic analysis, geospatial standards and their application, and the construction of virtual collaborative networks including Arctic mapping and the virtual Arctic Spatial Data Infrastructure (ASDI). The conference is coordinated by the USGS, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the I...

The Maryland Science Center at Baltimore's Inner Harbor, Credit: Maryland Science Center On the 6th of April 2009, the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting and the Arctic Council met together in Washington DC. The fourty-seven signatory nations to the Antarctic Treaty include several northern countries that also hold membership on the Arctic Council, but in Washington the two polar political organizations met together for the first time. The USA hosted the meeting, at the US Department of State, in recognition of the initial signing of the Antarctic Treaty, also in Washington, in 1959, 50 years ago. The Treaty meetings extend for an additional two weeks, in Baltimore, and the Arctic Council will go on to its own meetings later this month, in Norway. This special...

Transmission Location: At sea, 21 miles south of Punuk Island (sample station NEC2), south of St. Lawrence Island. Lat/Long: 62deg 42 min N/168 deg 38 min W (grid 62.70). Time: 0834. Temperature: 1.0 dgF, Wind: 24 mph from NW. Wind Chill: ?22 dgF. Scattered clouds, 30% cover. Sunrise: 9:07 AM, Sunset: 9:22 PM. Ice: New ice, small floes, 1-2ft, high ridges. Note: large group of ~30 walrus on large floe ice edge, in and out of water. Ship’s log by Tom Litwin, scientist profiles by Tom Walker. Flying into Gambell, the Bering sea and Russian Siberian coast beyond. Photo Credit: Tom Litwin This ...

Transmission Location: At sea, 30 miles SW of Southwest Cape, (sample station SEC1.5), St Lawrence Island. Lat/Long: 62deg 49 min N/170 deg 38 min W (grid 62.82). Time: 0915. Temperature: ?0.5 dgF, Wind: 17.8 mph from NW. Wind Chill: ?22 dgF. Scattered clouds @ 1000ft. Sunrise: 9:15 AM, Sunset: 9:41 PM. Ice: New ice- Nilas/Young-/2-6”. Ship’s log by Tom Litwin, scientist profiles by Tom Walker. Laysan albatross forgage in Bering sea “hot spots”. Photo Credit: Tamara Zeller, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service The desk I’m writing at is actually a chart table in the back corner of th...

Transmission Location: At sea, 30 miles SW of Southwest Cape, (sample station SEC1.5), St Lawrence Island. Lat/Long: 62deg 49 min N/170 deg 38 min W (grid 62.82). Time: 0915. Temperature: ?0.5 dgF, Wind: 17.8 mph from NW. Wind Chill: ?22 dgF. Scattered clouds @ 1000ft. Sunrise: 9:15 AM, Sunset: 9:41 PM. Ice: New ice- Nilas/Young-/2-6”. Ship’s log by Tom Litwin, scientist profiles by Tom Walker. Think flexibility. This is an important ingredient for travel in the Northern Being Sea. A stickler for events unfolding the way planned could find this to be a very long, nerve-wracking experience. The combined influences of wind, ice, and currents humble even the best laid plans. Fluidity in mind and action serves well those working in the ice. Today is a case in point. ...

Transmission Location: At sea, 46 miles SW of Sikniq Cape (sample station SEC2), St Lawrence Island. Lat/Long: 62deg 12 min N/170 deg 16 min W (grid 62.2). Time: 0925. Temperature: ?1.5 dgF, Wind: 19.5 mph from NW. Wind Chill: ?19 dgF. Clear skies. Sunrise: 9:41 AM, Sunset: 9:39 PM. Ice: very close pack, new ice ~3ft. thick, big floes. Ship’s log by Tom Litwin, scientist profiles by Tom Walker. USCGC HEALY’S ICEBREAKING BOW, BOSON MATE JIM MERTEN Photo Credit: Tom Litwin I’m standing in the Forward Machine Room where I can put my palm on the inboard side of the Healy’s stem, the most forward part ...