Another Trip

Well I have not posted in a really long time but I am off an another adventure. Next week is the 2nd International Cryosat Validation workshop in Frascati, Italy (just outside Rome), and I get to attend. I am exceed to learn more about this as this is what my PhD will be on.

But it not every day I get to fly to Europe so I am using the opportunity to visit my Opa and Oma (grandfather and grandmother) and aunts and uncles. Most of my family still lives in Holland. I am really excited to see everyone and will post pictures and so forth of my adventure. I am get one day in Rome before the conference to explore a bit.

Thus morning I arrived early at the airport and marked some lab reports. Now I'm just have a Fresh squeezed Grapefruit juice at the Chili's at the airport.

Well that is it for now

Update

Well I am at the Oslo airport now.  I am early for my flight, of course, being me, and not having much else to do this morning. I thought I would use the time to update you on some of the interesting things I feel I have forgotten to mention over the trip (there is only a couple).

 

One that you may have guessed right at the beginning of my trip was the importane of guns on Svalbard.  If you go out and about, whether alone or with friends outside of town or go camping, you must take a gun.  People are attacked by bears each year.  In Svalbard, there is no hunting of polar bears but if it is necessary to save lives, a bear will be killed.  However, it is expected that the persons will do everything reasonable to prevent this from happening, such as leaving the area, and waiting until there is no other option.  Earlier this year a camper was dragged from his tent by a bear, his friend shot and killed the bear saving his life.  This was investigated and they were found to have done the right thing.  However, just recently a researcher shot a bear from a bit of a distance.  He claims it was a warning shot and did not even know he had hit the bear.  However, he did not report it, but later a dead polar bear was found in the region where he was working.  He came forward but was fined, both for shooting it and for not reporting it.  Perhaps if he had reported it, he may not have been shot. Anyways, long story short, guns on Svalbard are part of everyday life.  When we operated in the field, there was at least one gun on the ice with ice, loaded and ready to use.  However we always tried using flare guns and when possible left the ice for the safety of the zodiacs and/or the ship. 

Oh and Norwegian for polar bear is isbjorn (ice bear).  We saw a couple this trip (Fram Strait) and lots on the first cruise.  We also saw some seal remains and the amount of blood is amazing, you could see the drag marks across several floes and then the unfortunate corpse.

 

Other things, such as the fact that Svalbard has a whooping 56km of roads was neat, yes I went on pretty much all of them.  There are different rules regarding backcountry use for people who live on Svalbard, and everyone else, like me or even people from Norway.  These limits include where you can go, stay, and if you can use snowmobiles (called scooters) offroad.

 

Otherwise the thing about Norway that I cannot get past is the cost, cost of living is quite high (but then so are wages).

 

Hmm, I thought I had more to write about but guess not.  I am just excited to get home, excited to see Nicole and Jax and to talk to you all again.

 

Cheers and talk soon

 

 

26, day 1

Well, It is Sunday, Sept 19th.

Last night we had a cruise dinner on the ship with everyone and then went into town.  We had unloaded the boat in the afternoon and so we went into Longyear and went to the pub, then another pub, and finally to bed.  It was a lot of fun, and special in the sense that it isn't every year I have a birthday with people I have only met 5 weeks ago.That said, I did miss Nicole and Jax alot, and my family too.  Hopefully I'll get to see most of you soon, and then see many of my friends as well.

Today I am in sitting in a cafe in Longyearbyen, having breakfast (well lunch) and using the wireless internet to catch up on emails.  Looks like I have some work to do tonight, maybe, but that is okay too.

On the whole I am really happy with the whole cruise experience.  I hope that I have collected some useful data, and that it helps my recognition/publications record which is lacking right now.
I also have met some great scientists, both early career and well established. I have learned a lot and am motivated to finish my master's thesis and I think start a PhD. While not every day of the cruise seemed great while on the cruise, looking back it was very good.

Well the rest of the plan for the next few days is to do some work, but also to relax before going back to the real world.  Longyear is a beautiful place with a stunning view.  I leave here on Tuesday afternoon and end up in Oslo Tuesday night.  On Wednesday I fly back to Edmonton and to my beautiful, loving, wonderful wife.

In Longyearbyen

Hello All,

 

Well today is September 18, yes my birthday, and today we are in Longyearbyen getting off the boat (a pretty good present)

Cruise dinner tonight on the boat and then maybe a few drinks at the pub.

 

More soon updates sooon, still unloading Lance

 

Cheers

 

Justin

Land Ho!

Hello All,

Well the water is calm, very calm actually considering we are in open water.
Last night I needed to get some work done, and until 8pm the water was rough
enough for me that I could only work in 10 minutes spurts followed by 30
minutes of looking outside at the horizon. However, by 8pm the water calmed
down and I could work. The water has stayed calm since then so I had a
fantastic nights sleep.

We are currently at about 78o 55' N and 7o 30' East. We can see the western
coast of Svalbard already. We still have some time until we are there
though, as the oceanographers are doing CTD measurements every 30'
longitude.

Today my plan is go get some work done and organize things a bit. We could
be going to shore on Saturday night or on Sunday night (is still unclear),
so things need to be ready.

Well that is it for now

Cheers

Justin

Update

Hey All, sorry for the lack of posts lately, been busy.

Well we are finished with sea ice work as of yesterday morning. We had a
final station that went really fast and then spent time cleaning and packing
most things up, including the EM bird. That evening we were completely out
of the ice and in to a bit of storm with rough seas. Needless to say I took
some sea sickness pills. It was interesting trying to fall asleep. The
front of the boat moves up and down enough that you gravity changes (ie you
feel heavy with the boat is lifting and very light when the boat drops down
the wave). Kinda cool but also makes me sick.

Today I have spent the majority of the day sleeping and trying not to be
sick. The oceanographers are hard at work doing CTD measurements every
degree and soon every half degree. Yesterday I found a styrofoam (or
polystyrol) cup (THANKS SEBASTIAN!!!) and had decorated it and had the
oceanographers send it down for me. It went to 2490m depth, pretty freaking
cool.

Well other than that just trying to finish up some figures regarding the
Cryosat flights we've made.

I hope you are all doing well. I return to Longyearbyen either Saturday or
Sunday night (is a bit unclear right now), but then I should have some
regular email access.

Cheers

Justin

Fog, Fog, Fog

Well it is now September 13th,

We were at 2o W and 79o 55' N yesterday and we are back to 5o W, 79o 50' N
today. We went east to do CTD measurements (Conductivity, Temperature,
Pressure (from which you can calculate salinity which is that saltiness of
the water)), and to buy time for the mooring technician to get the mooring
ready for deployment today.

We have had a lot of fog this trip, which is limiting both our flying and
when we can fly, how far we can go from the boat. The fog moves in very
quickly here and the pilots, justifiably do not want to get caught in the
fog.

Yesterday during the CTD, one of the oceanographers sent down a styrofoam
cup with the CTD system to 2400m depth. Because there is air in the
structure of the styrofoam, and because of the high pressure at 2400m, the
stryfoam cups come back out shrunk. One was given to the pilot and a few
more are for a charity she is working with, kinda cool. If I'd have thought
of this, I would have brouth styrofoam cups along.

We will be in the ice for a couple more days at least and hopefully we can
get some more flights in. It is quite beautiful when the sun does come out
for a little bit. There is new ice forming now as it is cool during the
nights and not that warm during the days. There are so many different types
of ice in the water that they form some nice patterns. For example, sea ice
sometimes forms in finger ice, which looks like interlocked fingers, there
is also nilas, which is very thin sheets of ice which only form when the
water is very still.

Otherwise, I miss Nicole and Jax, but the trip is almost over. I haven't
been taking many pictures because, well, I'm not sure. My camera isn't
great, time for a DSLR.

I hope you are all doing well

Justin