CR
Cryospheric Sciences

Historic

Image of the Week – See sea ice from 1901!

August 18, 2017
Image of the Week – See sea ice from 1901!
Aerial photograph of the German explorer Erich von Drygalski’s ship, making its way through Antarctic sea ice. This picture was obtained from a hot air balloon in 1901. The log books of this ship were used to study sea-ice conditions at the turn of the century in the Antarctic. [Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Department of Commerce]

The EGU Cryosphere blog has reported on several studies of Antarctic sea ice (for example, here and here) made from high-tech satellites, but these records only extend back to the 1970s, when the satellite records began. Is it possible to work out what sea ice conditions were like before this time? The short answer is YES…or this would be a very boring blog post! Read on to find out how hero ...[Read More]

Polar Exploration: Perseverance and Pea Sausages

January 15, 2017
Polar Exploration: Perseverance and Pea Sausages
"Pølse” it says on the tin i.e. “sausage”. On the other side the word “ærte” (“pea”) is printed, in other words “pea sausage”. This is one of the tins brought to Greenland on the ill-fated Danish expedition 1904-1906 led by Ludvig Mylius-Erichsen. Credit: Danish Arctic Institute.

Born on this Day On this day in 1872 – 145 years ago –Ludvig Mylius-Erichsen, Danish author and polar explorer, was born. He led two expeditions to Greenland and successfully mapped the then unknown northeastern part of the country. The second expedition was his last. The expedition was surprised by an early onset of spring and could no longer use their dog sledges. The two Danes, Mylius-Eri ...[Read More]