In which polar region would you find Greenland? From our main drilling location in Baffin Bay (approximately 74 degrees North, 60 degrees West), we have been way up in the Arctic/North Pole region throughout this expedition!
What makes this environment special? So many things!
Weather: Based on my experience living in polar environments, I expected the weather to be FREEZING cold most of the time. During our expedition from mid-August through mid-October, we’re going into the fall season where temperatures start to drop. There are definitely cold days, especially when the wind is blowing, but I’ve been very surprised that the temperature has stayed around freezing. We dipped below 0 degrees Celcius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) a couple of times, and our average temperature has been around 2 degrees C (36 degrees F). You might have seen pictures of me in my huge parka coat–I wear it frequently because the Arctic wind feels bitterly COLD when it’s blowing.
The good weather didn’t last forever though. Just as we finished drilling at our last site and started the seven-day journey back to Iceland, a huge storm picked up. This meant high winds, big ocean swells, and at times it was too dangerous to even go outside. For many of us (me included!), we started feeling seasick again. As we rode the biggest wave (which the captain estimated between 10-12 meters), we tilted sideways enough that everything that was on top of table surfaces went crashing to the ground–cups, books, and science equipment. That included our dinner, so an announcement was made that dinner would be served late that evening. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured and it was quite a thrilling experience.
