Cruise Blog
Recent publications
El Bani Altuna, Naima; Rasmussen, Tine Lander; Ezat, Mohamed; Vadakkepuliyambatta, Sunil; Groeneveld, Jeroen; Greaves, Mervyn
Journal: Communications Earth & Environment
Caridi, Francesca; Sabbatini, Anna; Bensi, Manuel; Kovačević, Vedrana; Lucchi, Renata Giulia; Morigi, Caterina; Povea, Patricia; Negri, Alessandra
Journal: Journal of Marine Systems
Portnov, Aleksei D; Cook, A.E.; Vadakkepuliyambatta, Sunil
Journal: Geology
Vachon, Remi Elie Celestin; Bazargan, Mohsen; Hieronymus, Christoph F.; Ronchin, Erika; Almqvist, Bjarne
Journal: Geophysical Journal International
Conti, S.; Baucon, S.; Argentino, Claudio; Fontana, D.
Journal: Sedimentary Geology
A cautious return to the sea-ice.
Henry Patton (left), Anna Silyakova and Christine Lockwood-Ireland make their way back to the ice pack in the Greenland Sea. Anna Silyakova was collecting ice cores from the sea ice to investigate methane-associated processes within, when the group was interrupted by a passing polar bear. They had to quickly abandon station and return to the safety of the research vessel Kronprins Haakon.
Methane is a greenhouse gas, and as it rises through the water column it gets captured within the sea-ice structure during ice formation. Although ice typically behaves as a barrier for gases to go through, sea-ice is often permeable and a great mediator of gas exchange in polar regions. Being porous, sea-ice provides paths for gases like methane to pass from the ocean surface to the atmosphere where it can make an impact on climate. So, after a polar bear break the scientists returned to the ice pack, albeit cautiously, and collected more samples.