Into the sea ice Matthew Humphreys , January 18 , 2013
I am working as part of the carbonate chemistry team on this cruise , and Eithne talked on this blog about our scientific role a few days ago .
The RRS James Clark Ross is an ice-strengthened ship , so she can cut a path through the floating sea ice found in many parts of the Southern Ocean . I ( and all but the heaviest sleepers ) found out that we had entered sea ice for the first time on this cruise , late last night . When the pointed end of an advancing 100-metre-long steel ship makes contact with the edge of a metre-thick layer of ice , and proceeds to break it up and run right over it , the rattling vibrations and loud banging of ice on the hull can be felt and heard from everywhere . It ’ s a pretty noisy environment to sleep in at the best of times , but this really is something special . Nevertheless , I expect that it ’ s probably still better to be on the ship rather than the ice when this happens .
Scientists at the front of the ship looking out at the next wall of sea ice @ Matthew Humphreys
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