Tinted detail of a photo: Huge block of blue and white ice collapsing from a glacier front, shattering into fragments and throwing up a large white splash where it hits the dark water.
CR
Cryospheric Sciences

Polar History

Living IN the Greenland ice sheet: the story of Sites I and II, Camp Century’s older, smaller siblings

Living IN the Greenland ice sheet: the story of Sites I and II, Camp Century’s older, smaller siblings

Greenland, cold as it is, was appropriately front and center in the Cold War. Strategically placed between Europe and North America, the United States sought to maintain and enhance its position on the island so that American missiles and bombers were in striking range of many Soviet targets. Soviet bombers and missiles coming toward North …[Read More]

Re-discovering the British North Greenland Expedition 1952-54

Re-discovering the British North Greenland Expedition 1952-54

How did we (nearly) all forget about, or simply overlook, a large-scale two-year long mid-20th Century scientific expedition to the northern Greenland Ice Sheet? Particularly an expedition that kick-started some significant glaciological and geophysical careers, developed large-scale polar logistical capabilities, traversed the ice sheet, acquired some novel and critical data, and asked some big research …[Read More]

Polar Exploration: Perseverance and Pea Sausages

Polar Exploration: Perseverance and Pea Sausages

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 …[Read More]

Image of The Week – 100 years of Endurance!

Image of The Week – 100 years of Endurance!

The 30th August 2016 marks 100 years since the successful rescue of all (human) member of Shackleton’s Endurance crew from their temporary camp on Elephant Island (see map). Nearly a year prior to their rescue they were forced to abandon their ship – The Endurance – after it became stuck in thick drifting sea ice, known as …[Read More]