Longyearbyen Day 3

Well here I am in Longyearbyen, back in the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) offices, borrowing a network connection.  Need to check e-mail, download some satellite photos and make sure my credit card is paid off before I go.

Oh, I did get my luggage (even had a rush sticker on it).  The only problem then was that my toothpaste had opened inside my toiletry bag, but that was easily solved with a rinse.

Today we did some searching for someone's equipment (not ours as we knew where it was).  Found that and then went for breakfast.  We then had three hours of gun training which was good as apparently there are lots of polar bears around here (someone was attacked near town last week).
We had to practice shooting, loading, safe handling etc.  I did pretty good, kept my groups tight and could do a good job whether laying, kneeling or shooting.  We practiced at 30m with a 30-06 (for those of who know gun caliber). We also got some practice in with flare guns which we can also use for scaring away bears (have flashbang cartridges).

The afternoon was spent cleaning the guns and then getting some gear to use on board and on the ice from NPI (this includes boots (winter and rubber safety), parkas, toques, mitts, waterproof mitts, coveralls, and most importantly survival suits (for working in on the ice or when we go in the small boats).

I think that this cruise will be a little more intense for me than the Larsen, sound like there will be lots of going off the boat in small boats out onto the ice, but as I am also supposed to do HEM flights, we'll see how often I am involved. I am looking forward to this cruise, hoping to be busy but also to have time to do some writing and processing of data.  We will see.

Tonight we have a quick packing session at 6pm and then 7pm is a group supper so that everyone can meet. I have met many people already and I think I can convince them all to write a short post on my blog so that you can all learn why everyone is here.

I don't have much other news to report.  Look for a blog post sometime tomorrow or the day after.

Cheers

Justin

Longyearbyen

Hey all, well just a short update since I was too tired last night. Overall my trip was okay though I am a little worried about by luggage as I'm told it should be here tonight, should.

Oh well not much i can do about it, but it sucks not having a toothbrush or soap, but again no big deal. Norway is a beautiful country and Svalbard is no exception, big beautiful snow capped mountains cover much of the island. Longyearbyen is a town of about 2000 people. Europeans on the whole are very friendly (as I already knew).

The plan today is to get some breakfast/lunch in a bit and then maybe some GPS training. May also go down to the bird equipment to check that it is all here, which I also really hope.

Well I miss Nicole as it would be neat if she could share in my adventures.

Talk to you all soon. This will all cost me a fortune in data but oh well, I should be able to get reimbursed.

Justin

Sent from my iPhoneoe

Longyearbyen at last

So i am in longyearbyen. Have a small little apartment for myself. No Internet though. Am too tired to write much so just wanted to say I arrived safely. More tomorrow or later if I can't sleep.

Justin

In Oslo but with problems

So part of my long journey is almost over. i made it to oslo. however my plane was 1hr late from edmonton because the pilots for our plane were late on the plane they were flying to edmonton from vancouver. this meant that my stop in london was extremely short.  upon arriving in oslo, i find out my bags didn't made it and are still stuck in london.  the should make it to longyearbyen tonight on a very late flight. so hopefully that is true as that has all of my clothing and toiletries.

this of course serves me right as this morning i was telling nicole that I thought air canada wasn't too bad and that i have never had any major problems with them....that willl teach me. howevr air canada did manage to get me a window seat with no one next to me for the entire flight from edmonton to london.  but there was a mom travelling with two small kids sitting in the middle and she let the kids sleep across the three seats, so i offered her my aisle as she looked exhausted. well now to eat some supper, and then fly to longyearbyen.

as long as my clothes do come tomorrow then i amokay, otherwise air canada will be getting some pretty upset emails/phone calls from me.

wel thats it for now.  more soon i hope

Justin

Off

Well my trip has officially begun. I'm skirting I the Edmonton airport now waiting or my flight. I get into longyearbyen at about 3:30 tomorrow afternoon Edmonton time, so I'll be up for quite awhile. In going to try to sleep on the lane to try and move Arafat into longyearbyen time.

I usually get some strange looks at security just due to the sheer number of electronics and cables I bring. This time I have my imputed and external hard drive, some flash drives (5) and them a field computer, gps unit, iPod and all the charging cables and connection cables. I also have some cables for a piece of equipment we will use ( the em31, which is a ground based em induction instrument.

Well I already know that I will miss jax and Nicole alot, but i am hoping that both Nicole and I will be busy so that the time passes quickly. However another side of me ( the professional side) is looking forward to the opportunity, adventure and hopefully some time to work on thesis stuff.

Well that is it for now, no pictures yet but hopefully I will have internet in longyearbyen so I can send some photos of it.

Cheers a d keep follow

Sent from my iPhone g my post. I know text isn't as exctinv as pictures but all the blog posts will be updated with pictures when I return.

To Nicole, my lovely wife, I love you and take care. Be safe and I will as well.

To Dan, have fun in S. Korea. Will catch you out there.

To Amanda and Cory, all the best in your quest. :)

To family, love you and take care. I'll be safe.

To other readers, hope you enjoy the posts

10 Days until Departure

Well I haven't exactly blogged much in awhile.  I thought I would do so during the whole pre-wedding week but that was soon dropped as I was busy. Then I thought I'd post pictures from the wedding later but still haven't done so (though check out http://alilaurenphotography.wordpress.com/.  Ali, our wedding photographer has posted some pictures on her blog.  You may have already gotten an e-mail about this from Nicole, the pictures are amazing and I can't wait to see the rest of the photos when I get back from my long trip.


So onto my long trip now.  Okay, in 10 days or so I depart for Longyearbyen (making stops in London (England), and Oslo (Norway).


View Larger Map


View Larger Map


Longyearbyen, located in the Spitsbergen (or Svalbard) Archipelago, is a pretty important staging ground for European arctic research. Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund are home to many arctic research programs and stations (especially Ny-Ålesund, see http://www.kingsbay.no/ for more information).

Naturally before you can go on a scientific research cruise many things need to happen.  Besides being invited to join, there is usually a medical examination, some forms for next of kin notification should something go terribly wrong, research logistics (sending the equipment in time) and then all ones personal logistics (flights, packing, organizing data/software/manuals).

For me, this cruise is relatively simple logistically as most of the equipment is owned by the Norwegian Polar Institute (http://npweb.npolar.no/english). I just had to worry about the medical exam/forms, personal logistics and we sent along one piece of equipment (though that was handled by someone else). The Norwegian Polar Institute is even providing me with nice outer clothing (jacket pants, boots, survival suit)

So more info about this specific cruise, my role, and the schedule as I know it so far.

I am joining two cruises, ICE2010 and Fram Strait (just the names).  Each cruise will consist of numerous scientists (largely from Norway but also from the UK, the USA and other countries).  There are always numerous activities going on at once, and hopefully this year I can bring you some information about them all. I myself am involved in electromagnetic induction measurements of sea ice thickness.  Basically we fly a torpedo shaped instrument (for aerodynamic reasons) below a helicopter.  The instrument flies at about 45 feet (15m) above the ice, emitting electromagnetic radiation. As sea ice is relatively non-conductive, and sea water is conductive, the signal penetrates the ice, hits the water and induces a secondary field which is sensed by the instrument. The strength of this secondary signal depends on the distance between the instrument and the water (which is under the ice)  The instrument also carries a laser altimeter to measure its height above the ice surface and by subtracting these two distances we can get the total thickness (which is the thickness of the snow plus the sea ice).

Photo courtesy of Melissa Peters.

Our instrument (one of just a few in the world) provides sea ice thickness measurements over large distances. We try to make measurements each year in Alert (Ellesemere Island and where I went in May), and then anywhere else we can.

I am a little excited for the trip (for the opportunities, to meet some other people in my field and to gain alot of experience).  I also hope to get lots of work done.  However I am not looking forward to being away from Nicole and Jax for so long.   I know I'll miss relaxing at home, reading books etc.  Also it pretty much ends the chances I have to do more camping this summer.

Expect lots more blog updates, though they will almost certainly not have pictures until after I return as internet access isn't exactly fast or constantly available while on the boat.  I will basically be able to receive text e-mails and only through a special process.

Well that is it for now.

Pre-Wedding Holidays?

Well it has been some time now since I have posted on my blog.  But it is time for more.

Nicole and I are officially on holidays leading up to the wedding.  Nicole and I drove to Regina on June 30.  It was a warm day but good for driving, especially as the Honda has air conditioning, something our old beloved Toyota Tercel did not have (though we still miss this car deeply).

Nicole's parent's and dog are away on a vacation, returning today.  Nicole and I have been running some wedding errands, such as picking up the marriage license, filling wedding favors, setting up the arch (which we are borrowing from Tiff, a close friend who is getting married in August), and the rest of time just trying to relax and enjoy some time away from work.

This coming week will be busier with things such as decorating, finalizing details, meeting with the photographer and marriage commissioner and making sure everything is ready.  Keep an eye out for blog updates as I plan to update a few more times this week and maybe even post some pictures during or shortly after the wedding (for all the Netherlands family).