What a flight! Soon after our plane took off from Kangerlussauq, we saw the edge of the ice sheet. It is amazing how gravity is slowly moving the ice towards lower ground.
A birds-eye view of the edge of the Greenland Ice Sheet
As we went further into the ice sheet, we saw beautiful blue ponds and rivers on top of the ice. Even though these melt water ponds look beautiful, they can actually speed up the melting of the ice sheet. You see, these melt water ponds are darker than the ice so they absorb more of the sun’s energy.
Melt Water Ponds On the Greenland Ice Sheet
Finally, after two hours of flying over nothing but white, we landed safely at Summit camp, my home for the next 26 days.
PolarTREC teacher Kevin McMahon is happy to have reached to the top of the Greenland ice sheet. Photo by Brandon Strellis.
Here is a picture of our plane as workers begin to unload our supplies.
LC-130 at Summit camp, Greenland
Let me tell you a little more about our camp. We are sitting at the highest point on the ice sheet. You would have to drill down two miles before you hit the ground. The nearest point of land is nearly 250 miles away.
Below is a map of Greenland. The red dot is where Summit camp is located. Source: http://www.summitcamp.org/
Here is another view of the Greenland ice sheet from my tent.
Nothing but white and blue for hundreds of miles in each direction
Our team will be sleeping in “Arctic Oven” tents. The temperature is supposed to drop to -15 degrees Celsius. I will let you know if my sleeping bag and tent keep me warm.
PolarTREC Teacher Kevin McMahon and his new home: Tent Number 3, Tent City, Summit camp, Greenland
We have a busy afternoon. After lunch, we learn about camp safety. Then, I get to help Brandon Strellis and Hannah James with many science projects. Check back to learn more about these projects and what it is like to live and work at Summit camp.
In the meantime, if you want to see the current weather conditions at Summit camp, click on this link: http://www.summitcamp.org/status/weather/