ASCOS

Everything has now (more or less) fallen into the expedition routine; all groups conduct measurements on a round-the-clock schedule. Almost all instrument systems are up and running; the last 18 hours we have had a problem with very low wind speeds, which increases the risk that the labs on the 4th deck sample air which is contaminated by exhausts from the ship or from snowmobiles on the ice. Another practical problem is the fog that we've had most of the time for a few days; low visibility impedes the possibMelt pondility of the lookouts on the bridge to see approaching Polar bears in time, and sometimes stops the work on the ice. Yesterday we turned the ship around in expectation of a wind shift and this morning it had happened, but the wind is still weak. Everyone is starting to feel the exhaustion of working around the clock, but since we have such limited time here we need to make the most of it. 

Its been a busy couple of days, with a huge workload for most of us, exacerbated by bad weather. 

It started already the day we arrived, with a storm coming in with all sorts of weather (rain, ice needles, 

snow and rain again) and strong winds. Since then we’ve had heave snow fall and right now the fog is 

playing us a trick (with fog comes poor visibility and with that comes problems in keeping a proper 

Polar Bear watch). Meanwhile, the wind is still stiff in spite of forecasts to the contrary. Bottom line is: 

we’re way behind schedule. Had another low-pass by the NASA DC-8 today, and tomorrow we’ll have a party!!The ice-camp

We have now found our ice floe! After a nights steaming north and east
we have found better ice, and on a corner of an ice floe c:a 2 by 3 km
we have started to establish the ice camp. But nothing is ever easy it
seems; in the midst of setting up instrument sites an intensive weather
system blew in, with heavy snow fall turning into rain in the evening,
making everything that much harder. Still everyone is working stoically
to get everything up and in a few days we expect to have everything up
and running.
Strong ice!

Now – since finishing the first two research stations – we are heading into the pack ice. 

The first day went really well, with very light ice and good speed. Now it is starting to 

become tougher. The ice fraction is very high and sometimes hard to get through. The 

weather has also been less than cooperative, with strong winds and several frontal passges. 

Possibly, the high winds have contributed to the compact ice. It will take us another three 

to four days to get approximately where we want to be. We have lots of preparations, and 

besides many of the observations are running continuously, so we still have plenty to 

occupy ourselves with.

View from Oden 7 August