Son assistant prof is now on board the German research vessel Polarstern, conducting research. Updates from the cruise will be posted weekly!

Second Multiyear Ice Station: Instrument Deployment and Initial Observations(Updated 7/17)

“Observation at the second sea ice station has begun. Unlike the first station, the second one is located on multiyear sea ice, which is estimated to be more than three years old. The ocean team of the CONTRAST expedition deployed four mini mooring systems and turbulence observation instruments—Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (Signature1000, Nortek)—on the ice. Each mooring is equipped with four temperature sensors (RBR Solo, RBR Global) and one conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) sensor (MicroCAT, Sea-Bird Scientific). In addition, an iAOOS system (photo), an autonomous CTD profiler with an 800-meter-long observational wire, was installed.”

The First Ice Camp of Station1 Begins Amidst a Polar Bear Encounter(Updated 7/14)

“The first ice camp of Station1 commenced on seasonal sea ice at 83.45°N, 20.53°E, near Svalbard. On the morning of the first day, a polar bear appeared on the ice where the research vessel Polarstern was anchored. Due to safety concerns, morning observations were canceled. However, operations resumed in the afternoon under careful monitoring. Dr. Son, a member of Uehiro laboratory of oceanography, was able to safely install the equipment later that day.”

Son project asst prof departs for sea ice research around Greenland(Updated 7/4)

“On July 2nd, the German research vessel Polarstern, operated by the Alfred Wegener Institute, finally set sail from a fjord near Tromsø, Norway. Carrying 49 researchers, the vessel is heading to the Arctic to establish ice camps on three different types of sea ice, each representing a different age, near Greenland. Among the researchers on board are three scientists from the Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences at Hokkaido University, including Eun Yae Son from the Uehiro Laboratory for Oceanography.”