By David Shukman
Science and environment correspondent, BBC News
Half-way through their expedition to survey the Arctic sea-ice, British explorers have been jinxed by yet more technical problems and are resorting to old-fashioned techniques to carry out research.
On Day 44 of the trek, both a radar device meant to measure the ice thickness and a satellite communications unit to relay the data are still not working – despite being brought back to the UK for repairs and then delivered to the team last week.
As a result, the explorers are now drilling more sampling holes than planned, which means they are progressing more slowly than hoped.
It now looks much less likely that the team will reach its destination of the North Pole.
The radar system, known as Sprite and meant to be dragged over the ice making millions measurements, is now being carried on a sledge instead.
Pen Hadow, leading the Catlin Arctic Survey, describes losing the use of the equipment as frustrating but concedes that the hostile conditions have overwhelmed the technology.
“It’s never wise to imagine that either man or technology has the upper hand in the natural world,” he said. “It’s truly brutal at times out here on the Arctic Ocean and a constant reminder that Mother Nature always has the final say.”
The expedition was blighted in the first few weeks by temperatures well below minus 40 Celsius, the equivalent of minus 70 allowing for the wind chill.
The failures are blamed on problems with power supplies, either with batteries not working or with cables snapping in the cold.
The loss of the hi-tech equipment has focused attention on the data gathered by the tried-and-tested method of drilling through the ice by hand.
One-hundred-and-two holes have been dug so far and 1,100 measurements have been made of ice thickness, snow density and other features – data deemed vital by scientists evaluating the future of the Arctic sea-ice.
The latest findings show that virtually all the ice surveyed is what is called first-year ice, ice that only grew this past winter, as opposed to tougher multi-year ice which survives the warmth of summer.
Figures indicate an average ice thickness of 1.15-3.75m, much of which might be expected to melt between June and September.
Organisers in London insist the expedition’s data-gathering is still important for research – despite the setbacks – and describe reaching the Pole as “largely irrelevant”.
According to Simon Harris-Ward, operations director, “what matters most is gathering the maximum amount of data possible over a scientifically interesting route.”
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Hi Anthony, i’m waiting you post another article about the sun [perhaps is better that you don’t, because it’ll appear new sunspots (: ], to post here a very interesting article about the relation between the solar cyle and the coronal holes! Ando so excuse for the ot…
It’s translate by google, and so exuse me for english!
http://209.85.129.132/translate_c?hl=it&sl=it&tl=en&u=http://daltonsminima.wordpress.com/2009/04/14/buchi-coronali-e-ciclo-solare-ce-qualcosa-di-molto-strano-proprio-come-durante-il-minimo-di-maunder/&prev=hp&usg=ALkJrhh-V-HHHW2heXunnqAZ_ngfc0ervQ
thank’s a lot, Simon
These guys should seriously think about quitting while they can.
“The latest findings show that virtually all the ice surveyed is what is called first-year ice, ice that only grew this past winter, as opposed to tougher multi-year ice which survives the warmth of summer.”
Is this really a surprise since the announced route was over the first-year ice? And why “virtually”, could their detours taken them onto some of the older ice? Also some of the ice is over 12′ thick, this is really impressive, especially considering their predetermined route.
Amazing: 25C below zero with showers.
http://www.catlinarcticsurvey.com/latestfromtheice
So it transpires that this was simply an expedition to drill for water on top of a frozen ocean. Lo-tech beats hi-tech in the Artic.
We should be thankful that the Catlin team took along a big enough drill to get through the ice. It is a pity that none of the data collected can now be independently verified.
Hypothermia, frostbite and huge embarrassment all round for a group people who suffered uneccessarily in pursuit of a faulty belief system. Let that be a lesson they all learn, if they can escape the clutches of a large polar bear that has been tracking them for some days.
Ach, Schadenfreude, mon amour!
So acquired was a random scatter of samples over a drifting ice mass recorded by a delirious hypothermic team? Yeah, That’ll be useful.
How do they prove they drilled the holes? Who is going to check their work? Is there a record of where they drilled the holes? How many were started but not finished because the ice was too thick? Why don’t they just measure the thickness at each open water crack? Maybe while they are their they could take air temperature readings at 20 minute intervals to make up for the loss of radar data?
Drilling holes in the ice equates to driving to El Paso from Houston and taking temperature readings out the window every so often. Real Science indeed. I wonder what they are doing with their trash.
All it needs now is for their pencils to break (or will Ann be steaming life back into their biros?)…
“tougher multi-year ice which survives the warmth of summer”
So it’s colder if it’s older. Who woulda thunk it.
Yeah, that Arctic ice is really tough on electronics!
We used to drop dropsondes over the Arctic Sea Ice occasionally. Funny thing, some of these cheap, throwaway instruments would still be transmitting 24-48 hours later.
ROFL, and the ‘spin’ commences.
102 holes covering 241KM? That’s one hole every 2km, doesn’t seem to be very good coverage to me. Not sure what conclusions you can draw from this that you can’t looking at Cryosphere.
“It’s never wise to imagine that either man or technology has the upper hand in the natural world,” A momentary lapse of delusion, to paraphrase Pink Floyd. How apropos as we embark to manipulate climate by lessening CO2 levels.
Ah, move the goal posts. Excellent strategy.
Just a question. They did know where they were going didn’t they, and that it would be very cold? But good nes, only first year ice… which only goes to prove.
“On Day 44 of the trek, both a radar device meant to measure the ice thickness and a satellite communications unit to relay the data are still not working – despite being brought back to the UK for repairs and then delivered to the team last week.”
Oh and how much CO2 did that release then?
“…tougher multi-year ice which survives the warmth of summer.”
Ignoring the obvious problem of how multi-year ice ever managed to miraculously survive its first summer without already being that special tough “multi-year” kind of ice, I am left wondering if David Shukman is going to revive the concept of polywater next. And then what? N-Rays?
So they can spin this as technical faults with equipment, instead of mission failure due to too much ice and cold.
Their whole mission is a bust and we all know it, it is time that they came back home and admitted defeat.
“data deemed vital by scientists evaluating the future of the Arctic sea-ice”
If I was wanting to use this data to make scientific observations – I’m not sure how I’d do it. Are these folks committed to doing this every year, or every few years?
Is this effort mostly science, or is it mostly political? Given that the design of their website tried to pretend to be scientific logging of the crew’s physical condition – but was really something else – I have to believe that we’re looking at a political campaign.
describe reaching the Pole as “largely irrelevant”.
Laying the groundwork for mission failure? Remember, the whole thing was to continuously measure the ice along a 1000 km route to the pole. Well, so far, it looks like they’re naught for naught. They’re not taking continuous measurements, it now looks like they won’t make it to the pole, and my guess is they’ll be lucky to make it to 500 km.
Yet another demonstration of mankind’s legacy of engaging in silliness to support a passing fad.
“It’s truly brutal at times out here on the Arctic Ocean and a constant reminder that Mother Nature always has the final say.”
^_____^
Still, it does not melt you numbskull, it will break up due to currents and windpatterns, it will only start to melt when it drifts out of the artic ocean.
As expected from the hints and rationalizations (ice north of 85 all cracked and open water!!) and preponderance of attention on problems, discomfort, and failures of poorly designed tech (all due to the unexpected extreme cold) rather than the science. We will be learning how mountains are made out of molehills in their findings over the next month or so. Already they are saying that reaching the pole is “irrelevant” – this is a sign that we are going to learn that the rest of it was most relevant. I’m happy that this unnecessary misadventure didn’t end in disaster for the team.
Ya know, if this were actually true, the equipment problems would be fixed and fresh crews would be swapped-in on a regular basis as well.
So, it’s not really that important …
Is there really some sort of old ice that is “tougher” (harder to melt?) than young ice? Who knew?
It is laughable what these warmists’ get up to!