During the Arctic winter, a snow-pack forms over the sea ice. Typically 20-30 cm deep, it is thin relative to the thickness of the ice below. However, this snow layer plays a fundamental role in different domains. Snow is composed of small ice crystals surrounded by air. This very simple structure leads to two important physical properties: Continue reading Rapid, dramatic changes of surface sea ice
Let’s have a look into the difficulties of operating high-tech equipment in the Arctic environment. But I don’t mean airplanes; I want to talk about flying a remotely operated vehicle, an ROV for short, in the water column beneath 1.5 m thick of landfast ice.
Continue reading Being a pilot in the Arctic – interactive update!
During the Arctic spring, the melting of snow results in an increase of light transmittance underneath the ice. Meanwhile, the warming of sea ice causes its melting, contributing to the formation of a freshwater layer underneath the ice, where the phytoplankton can be trapped. These conditions favor the development of an under-ice bloom, which is the focus of the Green Edge project.
