In the Ice
April 10, 2015
Some examples of the sea ice that we have encountered so far. Top left: bands of grease ice. Top right: small pancake ice merged together. Bottom left: larger pancake ice; bottom right: our ship, the Nathaniel B. Palmer, steaming through dense sea ice cover.
Several days ago we reached our main work areas along the margin of East Antarctica. Our expedition is relatively late in the season and the seas around Antarctica are starting to freeze. While the abundance of sea ice makes it more difficult to get to all of our research areas, the different shapes and forms of newly forming sea ice are a great visual experience. We also have a group of Australian scientists aboard the Palmer who are studying sea ice and sea ice formation using an unmanned aerial system or drone, so they are especially pleased by our icy experience.
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