Back to Greenland

 September 10

The original plan for today was to exit Jones Sound during the night of September 9 and proceed north along the east coast of Ellesmere Island before crossing to Greenland on September 11th. However, strong north winds and the prevailing current brought pack ice down through the Nares Strait and into the western side of Baffin Bay. This ship is rated for travel through ice three feet thick, but the calculations by our ice pilot (and also by the Canadian Coast Guard) advised that it was too dangerous to proceed with the original plan. Overnight (and much of today) we traveled the 200 miles northeast to an area near the Thule Air Force base on the west coast of Greenland. The crossing was slowed by heavy seas and 30-40 knot winds from the north. 

Mid-afternoon we pulled into the sheltered end of the Barden Bugt fjord and went for a hike across a glacial morain. It was great to be outdoors again, on a sunny day at -0.5 Celsius. While we didn’t see much in the way of wildlife, we saw many excellent lichen and ice patterns on the streams we crossed in the tundra. 

What does it mean, to go for such a hike? First of all, all landings are “wet” meaning that the zodiac deposits you in the 1-2 feet deep water at the shoreline. So, first you put on a layer of long underwear, then a layer of normal clothes, then your parka, your waterproof pants, probably a hat, waterproof gloves and your muck boots— oh and of course your life jacket for the transit to shore. Sometimes you will still be cold on the way to shore, and sometimes there is spray during the zodiac ride to shore so camera equipment needs to be safely stored in a dry sack. Once you start hiking, you’ll start unzipping layers, at least until the wind picks up! 

Since it was a quiet day today, let’s talk about ice. 

There are two kinds of ice up here: glacial/ice cap/ iceberg ice, and sea ice. The first category is all fresh water ice, built over many years from snow. Much of central Greenland is a huge ice sheet, which is 1-2 miles thick, and is the source of the glaciers (rivers of ice) that in turn create icebergs when parts break off. Melting icebergs are an important source of fresh water introduction into the Arctic waters. The extent of the ice sheet and glaciers are also important to controlling climate, as their white surfaces reflect the sun’s radiation, while open ocean water (being dark) absorbs the radiation. 

Sea ice, on the other hand, is just what it sounds like: frozen sea water. Sea water freezes at 28.5 Fahrenheit rather than 32, and the act of freezing expels some salt, so the ice is less salty than the ocean it came from. Above the 75th parallel there can be perennial sea ice, which can be 12-40 feet thick. This polar ice cap recedes a bit in summer (September is traditionally the smallest extent) and increases in winter (March tends tub be the maximum extent). Overall there is less sea ice / polar ice cap now than 100 years ago. 

Sea ice comes in various forms. The first stage is “frazil ice” — ice so thin that it is flexible and waves can ripple the water underneath without disturbing the icy layer. “Grease ice” looks like an oil spill on the water and is slightly thicker. There are different intermediate stages of ice formation depending on wind conditions, for example “pancake ice” in windy conditions. 

“First year ice” is as it sounds, ice that has lasted through one winter. It is 3-6 feet thick but light can still penetrate. This allows a number of organisms to thrive underneath it, some even growing on the under surface of the ice floes. These zooplankton and phytoplankton form the basis of the entire food chain in the Arctic, and explain why predators also frequent the first year ice. 

The oldest and most persistent is “multi year ice” which forms much of the polar ice cap. Multi year ice tends to be so thick (up to 14 feet thick) that sunlight does not penetrate below it, so there is not much biomass in those areas.

“Pack ice” is a mix of this older ice and newer ice. It can include very high ridges (up to 60 feet high) formed when packs collide, making transportation even by dogsled or snowmobile a challenge. Pack ice can be continuous (especially after the winter) or exist as floating islands of ice. As we have seen, the pack ice is essential for seals and polar bears to survive. 

Pictured: Kevin ready for a hike, “pancake” ice, a landscape showing sea ice in front of a glacier in from is an ice sheet, a beautiful iceberg fragment, floating sea ice, crystalline “land ice” from a hike