Dispatch 11: On Ice Again     Print

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David Jones and Andrey Proshutinsky

September 16, 2017

Weather: some high cloud cover, 10-12 knot winds, ice-covered seas, mostly sunny

Temperature: -14 ˚C

Relative humidity: 80%

Location: Beaufort Sea, 80˚ 33’ N; 140˚ 53’ W

News

After Ice Station #1 yesterday we headed towards the southwest for our second ice station of the trip. I was a bit turned around when I got off the ship at about 9:30 am because the ships bow was pointed towards the southeast, at least that was what I concluded by looking at the sun's position.... the sun still rises in the east and sets in the west right? The ice station deployment, although much colder than yesterday, was pretty uneventful: equipment lowered onto ice, people get on the ice via the gangway, holes augured, ITP assembled and positioned, IMB placed in its ice hole, ice survey completed including ice cores, and we were all back on the ship by 1:30 pm ready to roll.

Once we get the ship unstuck we will head generally in the southern direction, back into more open water and less ice. Sleeping the last few nights has been fitful for most with the continuous noise and jostling from moving through thick ice in a metal-hulled ship. I finally slept well last night until the ship STOPPED. Then I woke up wondering what was wrong. It was so (relatively) quiet. Anyway, our southerly track will take us to our next ice station (potentially) and eventually our first mooring station.

Besides the ice station deployment there were both CTD rosette and Bongo Net casts completed. A picture of some of the zooplankton collected indicating a potentially healthy food chain can be seen in today’s photo gallery.

Once we were on the ship, Captain Chmiel announced over the intercom that the ship was stuck and the crew needed some help pulling her to get her going, eh. So we all trundled down the gangway to help.  Actually it was just a ploy for a photo op.