Fri, 31 Mar 2006, Dernières aurores

I woke up suddenly this morning, I thought I heard steps on the deck, but it was only ice cracking, echoing against the hull. The polar bear we met last night, who stopped us while setting up a new scientific instrument (IMB), was still present in our minds! As well as the big fight between our 3 dogs that occurred few moments before.

It has been as very nice weather for one week (blue sky, temperatures between -15 and -30, no wind). Light is now enough at midnight not to need a headlight any more, and we will have to wait for the end of September to have enough darkness to watch northern lights again. Within few days, sea ice was back in front of Inglefield Bay, and we could start again our usual measurements (CTD, electromagnetic icemeter) after the bad weather. Amazing to be at about 10km from the coast, above 100m water, driving a snowmobile on 30 to 40 cm of very flat ice, when it was all open water on 15th of March. Busy days this week, enjoying one of the best time of the year: scientific jobs, ski tours, climbing icebergs, setting up a new wind generator... Sebastian and Trond, from the Norwegian Polar Institute, spent 2 days with us to set up 3 spectrometers on the weather mast. These sensors will measure for about 2 months the intensity of the light received, reflected and transmitted by the pac k ice. We were happy to share their experience, and to get a new, simple, clever system to measure ice thickness.

Posted Mar 2006 31 at 13:46 [en - fr]

Fri, 31 Mar 2006, Energie vagabonde

Le vent a soufflé fort la semaine dernière, et notre bonne vieille éolienne fournissait inlassablement ces quelques ampères qui améliorent le confort à bord. Elle tourne ainsi, presque sans discontinuer, depuis 4 ans, depuis le début du partenariat entre Accastillage Bernard et Vagabond. La Rutland 913 a ainsi vécu la première circumnavigation arctique, 17 mois d'aventures et d'inévitables tempêtes; puis un repos de 10 jours au Salon Nautique de Paris en décembre 2003, lorsque Vagabond y était à l'honneur, sur la moquette. Quelques mois plus tard il a fallu repartir, et c'est au Spitsberg que notre éolienne s'est installée depuis l'été 2004, fidèle au poste pour le deuxième hivernage actuellement en cours. Elle fût soulagée pendant la nuit polaire, lorsque la plupart des ampoules des plafonniers ont été remplacées par des ampoules 5w, divisant par plus que 3 la consommation électrique liée à l'éclairage. Elle s'impatiente presque en sachant que bientôt, ce seront des diodes qui réduiront son travail. Mais surtout, elle ne fût pas déçue de voir arriver la relève : il y a quelques semaines, la première équipe scientifique apportait une éolienne neuve et identique. De plus, le soleil s'est levé fin février, marquant la fin de 4 mois de nuit polaire, et les 5 panneaux solaires (Unisolar souples 32W) ont alors repris du service. Lorqu'il n'y a ni vent ni soleil pour recharger les batteries de Vagabond, le générateur du bord alimente notre infaillible chargeur Cristec, envoyé en urgence par AB lorsque Vagabond était en panne d'énergie au Japon, au printemps 2003. Si, au contraire, vent et soleil s'associent pour fournir une dizaine d'ampères, alors nous pouvons allumer le gros convertisseur Victron, et disposer de 220V pour alimenter principalement le congélateur et l'ordinateur. C'est la situation idéale, qui permet de ne pas faire tourner le générateur, d'économiser du gasoil, et de minimiser les gaz d'échappements. Un point essentiel pour nous qui assurons la logistique du programme de recherche international DAMOCLES, concerné par les changements climatiques. Toute cette gestion d'énergie est contrôlée de près avec notre inséparable moniteur Victron, qui nous confirme l'état de fatigue avancé des batteries du bord, dont le remplacement est déjà prévu par des batteries Delphi, plus petites mais plus puissantes. Si les programmes scientifiques, auxquels Vagabond et son équipe collaborent, se déroulent bien, c'est donc grâce au soutien d'AB, qui conseille et fournit ces équipements. Pour une meilleure connaissance de l'Arctique et de l'évolution des climats de notre planète.

Posted Mar 2006 31 at 13:45 [en - fr]

Fri, 24 Mar 2006, Vent du nord

Northerly wind has been blowing for the last 6 days, blowing snow and poor visibility. The Polar Ocean Profiler (POP) could not be deployed in Storfjord, but some tests have been done in Inglefield's Bay, not far from Vagabond. It is close to the glacier front that we found a rather good depth (40m) to experiment this automatic CTD for 24 hours. The Ice Mass Balance (IMB) has not been installed in the too sheltered Inglefield's Bay. This known instrument doesn't need any test, and France and I will have to set it up in Storfjord when the weather will be better. Jean-Claude (French), Danielle (Canadian), Bruce (American) and Simen (Norwegian) had to cancel departure yesterday, but they could leave this morning despite the wind (equivalent chill temperature -42°C). A short week-end for 2 of us, then will come the next crew.

Posted Mar 2006 24 at 14:54 [en - fr]

Mon, 20 Mar 2006, Froid

Jean-Claude Gascard, in charge of DAMOCLES, is on board since Saturday, for new experiments on sea ice. Cold and strong wind are increasing fast the ice thickness, but also making difficult the search for the best location. Half of the crew already got some frost bites.

Posted Mar 2006 20 at 07:45 [en - fr]

Thu, 16 Mar 2006, Polynie de printemps

Open water at less than 1 km from Vagabond, this was yesterday's surprise. The icebergs we were going around the day before are now drifting off shore, as well as the experimental tube which resistance to ice was on test before putting the scientific instrument. Polar bears are back, and experiments next week will be difficult. The image 66 is well showing fast and unpredictable movements of sea ice.

Posted Mar 2006 16 at 09:41 [en - fr]

Wed, 15 Mar 2006, Ski naut'arctique

At least 20 cm thick sea ice, covered with a good layer of fresh snow. A snowmobile, a rope, ans skis (Pure for instance). Conditions were the best yesterday, great landscape, orange lights, full moon on the horizon. Few icebergs of clear ice, standing in Inglefield Bay's pack ice for the winter, to go round to make a fun route. Slower and majestic is the Emperor's Walk. The DVD just arrived on board, bravo Jérôme for these pictures. The winter we spent in Kerguelen, in 94, surely contributed to your passion.

Posted Mar 2006 15 at 09:21 [en - fr]

Sun, 12 Mar 2006, Seuls à bord

France and I are alone on board since 9th March, for ten days. The weather is deciding about our activities: study of sea ice, ski tour, various maintenance, emails, book, film... The sun came back less than 3 weeks ago. He is now rising at 6:30, after 1:30 hour of twilight, and night is not starting before 7pm. Sun glasses are already very useful in the middle of the day. What a change after the long polar night! A polar bear visited the weather mast (designed to resist to the most curious of them...), he dug a bit, but did not damage anything.

Posted Mar 2006 12 at 20:12 [en - fr]

Tue, 07 Mar 2006, Jeune banquise

After less than a week, the open water in Storfjord is covered with 20 to 30 cm of ice, sometines very hummocky, but enough to drive on it with snowmobile. While the weather mast is sending data every 6 hours, other experiments could start. Like last winter, the icemeter, in its new pulka, is measuring ice thickness; the CTD, with the good hand winch, is giving temperature and salinity of sea water depending on depth. All is about finding a way between ice blocks and leads, to get to Storfjord deeper waters, constantly moving. Northern lights and moon shine seem to be congratulating us for the work done.

Posted Mar 2006 07 at 20:02 [en - fr]

Fri, 03 Mar 2006, Equipe au travail

France and the second crew arrived Wednesday nigth, at 11pm. For more than one and a half hour, I could see the lights from the 3 snowmobiles coming to me. The polar bear who was hunting since the morning, in front of a seal hole, probably left when hearing the engines. The workshop tent was set up yesterday, the few items lost on the way were found (!), Hervé and Nicolas are now preparing the weather mast. As there is not enough sea ice in the turbulent Storfjord, it is the pack ice from Inglefield Bay, not far from Vagabond, which will support this important experiment.

Posted Mar 2006 03 at 10:07 [en - fr]

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