Farewell to 50 let Pobedy and to ice breaking…on to Svalbard and...

Farewell to 50 let Pobedy and to ice breaking…on to Svalbard and adventures steadily further south. I’ll miss the ice but looking forward to more bears, walrus and far north eastern esoterica!

After two months staring at a black-and-yellow ruler trying to...

After two months staring at a black-and-yellow ruler trying to determine ice thickness, it’s so pleasing to see our data being used to assess and model sea ice this summer. We were the ONLY source of thickness data on this side of the Arctic Ocean, which astonished us and also further validated the value of this project – we know we don’t collect as much data as other observers, but if we’re the only ones doing it then it is SO worth it.

Citizen Science at the North Pole Measuring melt pond sizes,...

Citizen Science at the North Pole

Measuring melt pond sizes, depths and salinities at the North Pole with our team of citizen scientists. The trip was fantastic and we had an excellent core group of ice observers. Now we are gearing up for the next one!

Data Collection at the North PoleMy first time ever to the North...

Data Collection at the North Pole

My first time ever to the North Pole and the weather was gorgeous! It took several hours of searching with the helicopter to find a suitable spot a few miles from the pole itself, and Lauren had the luck to be along for the hour-long ride.

After enjoying the sunshine and scenery we get down to work, measuring the dimensions and salinity of two ponds. This all went surprisingly well for a first attempt and we learned enough to know what we want to measure next time and how we will include guests in the process.

Sailing to the North Pole is an expedition cruise like no other. It was a special experience, more so than I expected, and I’m really happy that the science went well too! I’ll be back three more times this summer and I can’t wait.

lauren: Polar explorer Roald Amundsen’s house outside of Oslo,...

lauren:

Polar explorer Roald Amundsen’s house outside of Oslo, Norway. 

I’m in Norway with Lauren. Today we visited the Fram museum and Roald Amundsen’s house. Heading north for the North Pole

Our project to collect sea ice data in the Arctic Ocean this...

Our project to collect sea ice data in the Arctic Ocean this summer (http://ift.tt/1fhaoiZ) has been awarded the right to carry the Explorers Club flag.

Club flags have been carried to both poles, the summit of Everest and the bottom of the Marianas Trench. They’ve been carried into space, on the surface of the Moon and famously at the top of the mast on Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon Tiki.

The flag you are awarded may have been on many expeditions before, and so it is more than just an honour, it is a reminder that we are standing on the shoulders of giants, following in the Western traditions of scientific enquiry and building on the work of those that went before us.

Without traditions we are always starting from scratch and we can never aim nearly as high.

Our project (http://ift.tt/1fhaoiZ) to measure sea ice...

Our project (http://ift.tt/1fhaoiZ) to measure sea ice thickness in the Arctic Ocean this summer has been honoured by the award of an Explorers Club flag. Club flags have been carried to both poles, to the summit of Everest and to the bottom of the Marianas Trench. Thor Heyerdahl proudly flew one from the mast of Kon Tiki, having planned the trip at the club’s NYC headquarters and they’ve been carried into space and on the surface of the moon.

It’s a great honour for our project to be recognised in this way, and given the flag may have been on many expeditions in the past it is a reminder that the work we do builds on the work of those that have gone before, following in the western tradition of scientific enquiry and standing on the shoulders of giants. Without traditions we are always starting from scratch.

I’m proud to say that I have been elected as a Fellow of The...

Photo from http://ift.tt/1IhMCiw

I’m proud to say that I have been elected as a Fellow of The Explorers Club in New York City. Members have been the first to the summit of Everest, the South Pole, the deepest point of the ocean and the Moon. I’m excited and honoured to be part of such illustrious company and look forward to any new opportunities this might bring.