Latest measurements in the Arctic and heading south

The icebreaker 'Polarstern' returns to the Svalbard Islands.AWI /

Arctic autumn is here and it's serious business.

In recent weeks there has been a major temperature change.

The wind chill is 25 degrees below zero and the wind is blowing, so working several hours a day starts to get tough.

We started saying goodbye to this inhospitable and beautiful environment.

A very young bear - just over a year old - has become curious and has decided to stay a kilometer from the ship, so that two guards have to watch him continuously.

After weeks stranded on the ice, adrift with the ice pack, this is our last week on the German icebreaker

, the protagonist of the MOSAIC international scientific mission, in which I participate as a CSIC researcher.

As I explained in a previous post, the German icebreaker is like a large floating research center.

Among the various capabilities it offers, we have instruments that allow us to take measurements around the area where we are trapped, including ROVs (

), drones and two helicopters.

The ROV is a small submarine that allows you to take photos under the ice, in order to study how ecosystems live, including fish such as Arctic cod.

There are several drones that fly every day to be able to take high-resolution photos and observe the topography of the ice and study its formation mechanisms.

The two helicopters (with two German pilots and two Spanish maintenance technicians: Víctor, from Cantabria, and Ricard, from Barcelona) carry out aerial surveys of the ice, at the request of the captain and scientists, to find the best route that allows us to move. through the ice more efficiently.

There is also logistical support with external loads and distribution of sensor buoys within a radius of 50 kilometers around the ship, to study the movement of the ice.

Helicopters are also used for measurements of ice thickness and snow cover on ice.

These are carried out with an instrument called EM Bird, which is basically a 120-kilo cylinder, attached to the helicopter and equipped with sensors, which flies at 130 km / h and 10 meters above the ground.

But all of this is only possible when Arctic weather conditions allow it.

Dense fogs often make helicopter flight operations difficult.

Even with clear skies, strong gusts of wind or freezing sometimes limit the operation.

In the Arctic, avoid - as much as possible - flying in clouds or foggy areas.

The ice that would form on the helicopter blades would cause a significant loss of aeronautical efficiency, a significant risk situation.

In addition, ice can form on the windshield, preventing visibility for the pilot.

The minimum conditions must be respected to maintain safety, since the possibility of rescue is non-existent.

The margin of error is very small.

The preparation of the flights is done every morning at 08:15, in the meteorological office, with all the participants.

They take the opportunity to make an assessment of the possible risks for each mission.

Last week we finished the last measurements and completed the MOSAIC expedition, the largest scientific expedition to the Arctic in history.

More than 60 people have been employed to collect the entire camp and the ice instruments, and we are heading south!

We will stop at the Svalbard Islands in Norway, where there are several atmospheric stations to drop off some instruments and then we will continue towards the port of Bremerhaven, in Germany, with the arrival scheduled for October 12!

Manuel Dall'Osto

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