Research on Fram Strait Ice Floe

A lone scientist appears tiny, working on a remote ice floe, high in the Arctic at 80 degrees north. Together with his colleagues he was dropped off there by a small helicopter, launched from an icebreaking ship -the Arctic Sunrise, which is owned, crewed and operated by Greenpeace. Together the researchers hope to gather data about the floe, which will add to our understanding about the dynamics of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. The team consists of two sea ice specialists from Cambridge University and an architect from UCL in London who is attempting to make revolutionary three-dimensional scans of sea ice structures, particularly pressure ridges.

Unique identifier: GP02I18

Type: Image

Shoot date: 09/09/2011

Locations: Fram Strait, Norway, Svalbard

Credit line: © Nick Cobbing / Greenpeace

Ranking: ★★★★ (E)

Containers

Shoot:

Arctic Sunrise Expedition to the Arctic Ocean

Leading independent ice scientists from the University of Cambridge joined the Greenpeace ice breaker Arctic Sunrise on an expedition to test Arctic
sea ice thickness, in a year that could mark the lowest sea ice minimum on record. Temperature rise in the Arctic is among the fastest on Earth due to emissions of carbon dioxide from oil, coal and gas. As climate change causes the Arctic’s sea ice cover to recede, the ice’s cooling effect caused by its reflecting solar radiation back into space is reduced, causing temperatures to rise even faster.
Melting of the Arctic sea ice is one of the most visible signs of the effect of climate change on our planet. By taking the Arctic Sunrise
deep into the Arctic sea ice, the scientists on board will be able to carry out crucial tests that will provide a greater understanding of how quickly it is disappearing.
The complex computer models used for climate prediction indicate that within a few decades Arctic sea ice, vital for keeping the planet cool,
could completely disappear in the summer months. During the expedition, the scientists have set up and 'ice station' on an ice floe in Fram Strait, near Svalbard. An ice station is a collection of tests and surveys that together tell the story of how the floe was formed, its thickness, salinity and other characteristics.
The melting of the Arctic needs to be a wake up call for world leaders to take action on climate change.

Related Collections:

Arctic Sunrise Expedition to Svalbard (Photo + Video)

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