18 October 2019 #MOSAiC Expedition Update

MOSAiC Expedition Update 18 October 2019

Today I had a great surprise after breakfast. I was invited to ride along on a helicopter trip and observe two buoys being set out on the ice. The helicopter trip lasted about 4 hours and we traveled more than 200 kilometers (120 miles) from the ship.

The buoys go on the sea ice and measure air temperature and air pressure as well as location. The buoys are part of the Year of Polar Prediction. Through this year of focused effort, researchers are trying to improve modeling and forecasts in the Arctic and Antarctic. Also, can you check this out through the Polar Prediction website.

Part of this project involves setting up buoys across the Arctic to better understand sea ice drift and basic atmospheric conditions. The two buoys we deployed aren’t directly related to MOSAiC but there was a ‘blank spot’ in the YOPP coverage to the east of the MOSAiC floe so this was a great opportunity to get some data from the region.

How did the team of #MOSAiCexpedition find the right floe for the ice drift through the Arctic Ocean? Read about here: https://blogs.helmholtz.de/polarstern/en/2019/10/mapping-floes/. Photo by Sebastian Grote

Travel Update
We don’t know exactly our arrival date in Tromso. Could be as early as the 26th or as late as the 31st. We should know more tomorrow or the next day.