The Ice Team members have all reached the North Pole before, so this project is
not about getting to the Pole, but rather about securing relevant scientific data.
The choice of route has been dictated by the need to obtain the maximum amount of
data possible along a scientifically relevant transect. The North Geographic Pole
was the natural end point. The team will be travelling on foot, hauling sledges
from 81°N 130°W, across 1,000-km of disintegrating and shifting sea ice, for around
100 days, in temperatures from 0ºC down to -50°C.
The Operations Team, prior to departure, met with
Professor Wieslaw Maslowski
of the Department of Oceanography at the Naval Postgraduate School, California and
Professor Peter Wadhams
of the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at the University
of Cambridge.
Discussions centred on the scientific validity and likely ice conditions along the
route. It was agreed that the proposed route (80°N, 140°W) was very interesting
in terms of data collection. Ground truth data is rare at these latitudes and of
particular interest to the scientists is the fact that the Catlin Arctic Survey
will provide winter sea ice data.
start point gallery, photos of team and expedition.
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Thursday, 09th April 2009
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Spring in our step
Posted by
Pen Hadow
It’s hard to believe I’m feeling so much better because temperatures here have risen to -24 degrees C! By any standard that’s not exactly warm, but it feels like a new world compared to the -40!...more
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Tuesday, 24th March 2009
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No Go
Posted by
Ian Wesley
Up at the crack of an Arctic dawn today. Today is the day that I'm going to see the ice team – or so I thought....more
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Monday, 16th March 2009
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Utterly bombproof
Posted by
Pen Hadow
I once described Martin during a press conference as “utterly bombproof in a polar environment”, a remark that I stand by to this day. Not only does he capture the very essence of the moment in his images, be it action, emotion or event, he does so in the most inhospitable of conditions. Where others fade and head to warmer climates, Martin comes to the fore, delivering awe-inspiring images despite the bitter cold and cutting winds....more
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Saturday, 14th March 2009
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Fractures
Posted by
Simon Harris-Ward
At around 2200 local time, as Pen, Ann and Martin lay in their tent, they felt the ice vibrating dramatically underneath them and heard the all too familiar screeching sound of grating ice floes......more
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Tuesday, 03rd March 2009
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