"The snow is melting, and the landscape is rapidly changing,” Tara crew member Charles reported on Saturday. “We have displayed the inflatable boats, since walking around has become a mission of sorts." Image courtesy of Tara expedition's website (click to enlarge).
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Tara expedition update: Getting wet
Posted: Jul 09, 2007 09:45 am EDT
(ThePoles.com/TheOceans.net) “The snow is melting, and the landscape is rapidly changing,” Tara crew member Charles reported on Saturday. The boat will soon break free from the Arctic ice.
Surroundings almost ready for a swim
With temperatures nearing 0°C, the crew of scientists on board the Tara can use the melting ice to easily collect fresh water. On the other hand, all equipment not safely buried in the snow must be retrieved before it sinks in the Arctic Ocean.
“We have also displayed the inflatable boats around, since walking around has become a mission of sorts,” Charles said.
Rain and tourists
The current team on board also reported on the first rains of the season, and the Yamal Icebreaker passing nearby on its way to the North Pole, carrying 130 tourists.
Out on a two year exploration of the Arctic, this winter Tara drifted with the moving ice past the North Pole, and toward the Northeast side of Greenland. The rounded and flat hull of the 116-foot ship allows her to remain frozen safely in spite of the extreme pressures applied by the pack-ice.
The brainchild of DAMOCLES; Tara's mission is to study the Arctic environment and many of the specialized pieces of equipment and techniques used onboard require the presence of humans. The goal of the study is to enrich our knowledge of the relationship between sea ice coverage, atmospheric conditions, the circulation of Arctic Ocean waters, and the impact changes may have on the natural system and the human activities that depend on it. DAMOCLES is coordinated by Jean-Claude Gascard of the University Pierre et Marie Curie in France.
Beyond the technical challenges, Jean-Claude notes that the greatest challenge for humans is to be able to tolerate the Arctic winter, “in a very hostile environment.” The all-volunteer crew of eight males is led by an engineer from New Zealand who is skilled in sailing and has worked in similar isolated situations in Antarctica. Two mechanics, a doctor, two science technicians, and two experienced sailors accompany him. The lead engineer wants to stay on board Tara for the full two years, while other members of the crew will be rotated in and out of the ship over time.
The Tara Arctic expedition, along with DAMOCLES, will provide scientists with a cross section of all physical and many biological parameters across the Arctic. Gascard hopes that the results “will be used as a resource in Arctic science research,” and he notes that the data will not be protected, but will be available to all scientists for use in their own research.
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