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Ocean Dynamics Beaufort Sea

Hi Gerty,

Can you give us a feeling for what it is like to walk on sea ice? My students and I are fascinated by the prospect of walking on ice especially when you can still see water. Do you know how thick the ice is when you are on it? Thanks! Jillian's class!

Fri, 08/15/2008 - 09:12

Gerty Ward

Hello Jillian's class! Thank you for following along. As I post this response, I am also posting my 12 Aug Journal entry about being out on the ice for the last time on this cruise. Attached to this entry are two ice information sheets which you may find interesting. Initially, the helicopter pilot and the Ice Specialist go out to look for an ice floe that is big and thick enough to support landing and work. Specifically, they are looking for flat ice, white in color with few if any melt ponds. ( See 30 July Journal entry and the attachment to learn the specific way that ice cover is measured).These visual clues are indicators of thick, multi-year ice. They then land on the ice, drill test holes to measure the thickness. If they consider the floe appropriate, they mark it with a big red flag and note its latitude and longitude. It is a real art to then find the floe again in a few hours or even the next day because -- remember-- the ice is MOVING! The Captain uses wind, current and ice satellite images to determine where the floe will be when we need to go back to it. So far, he is batting 1000!
Thank you for following along