Fifth report from ARTofMELT
After two weeks on the same ice floe, we have drifted farther south than we would actually want, but as the onset of the surface melt was creeping closer and the end of the expedition the same, we did not have the time to go north and establish a new ice camp. So, instead we waited and yesterday it came!
Around 06.51 on Saturday 10 June, the air temperature reached above zero for an extended time for the first time and so far it has stayed above freezing. We have seen the daily maximum temperature slowly increasing for the last several days. Mornings have become foggier and yesterday we stayed inside a dense fog the whole day – meaning that all activity on the ice was cancelled.
Today, it has been raining with fog off and on and now we are waiting for some snow and high wind speeds. So today, Sunday, we are finalizing the work here and packing up our ice floe, loading equipment back onboard in bursts when we can, in between patches of fog and low visibility. And between polar bear visits - a daily occurrence the last week or two. We have had over 30 polar bear visits, most of them have been in the last two weeks, although it is impossible to know if some came more than once. Every day work parties on the ice have had to abort and come back on board for safety.
Last updated: June 13, 2023
Source: MISU