Cracks have gone through the middle of our camp on the ice next to the ship. When those cracks push back together they make what are called pressure ridges. These are like little mountain ranges in the ice. Recently some of those little mountain ranges have formed right on top of our scientific equipment. My team has installed large sleds to measure the movement of atmospheric heat. These sleds are about 10 feet tall and 8 feet wide, weighing about 1,000 pounds. But they are still no match for the ice. Not long ago, a pressure ridge totally crushed one of our sleds, showing us the sheer power of these ice movements. It is these events that have made our expedition very hard over the past year; but they are also the reason that it is so exciting.
Every day the Arctic brings new challenges. Embedded in those challenges is also a huge opportunity to learn about the changing Arctic and the declining sea ice. With all of the turmoil caused by the global pandemic, I am so excited to be heading back out into the Arctic and ready to carry our expedition forward. Thank you for joining this virtual exchange, stay curious about the Arctic, and look for more updates from the MOSAiC Expedition in the coming months!
