Scientific Expeditions Get Stuck in Arctic and Antarctic Ice

The science team of Canadian Research icebreaker CCGS Amundsen involving 40 scientists, five universities and $17 million in taxpayer funding to study climate change canceled the first leg of the 2017 Arctic expedition due to extreme ice condition in the south. This meant the ship would arrive too late on site to meet research objectives. The decision to terminate the 2017 program has significant impacts on partners and the large number of graduate students involved.

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“Considering the severe ice conditions and the increasing demand for search and rescue operations and ice escort, we decided to cancel the BaySys missions. A second week of delay meant our research objectives just could not be safely achieved—the challenge for us all was that the marine ice hazards were exceedingly difficult for the maritime industry, the CCG and science,” says Dr. David Barber, Expedition Chief Scientist and BaySys Scientific Lead.” ¹ The problem was blamed on 'climate change.' Here are some pertinent reviewer comments about assessing the blame to 'climate change':

• “Is it a prediction that Arctic ice will expand southwards due to climate change? I thought it was expected to shrink.”
• “Are you seriously trying to make me and others believe that the 'thickening' ice and deeper pack are signs that the weather is getting hotter, i.e., climate change?”
• “You left because conditions were dangerous due to heavy ice. That speaks of thing getting colder, does it not?” ¹

Another missions to answer questions about climate change also got caught in the ice, but this time it was in the Antarctic in 2014. As Yogi Berra would say, “It 's de ja vu all over again.”

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The ice breaker Aurora Australis helped rescue the 52 person crew on board the Antarctic sea ice research vessel Akademik Shokalskiy which ferried a global warming/polar ice melt exploration led by Professor Chris Turney. This expedition devolved into a highly publicized folly attracting much worldwide ridicule. Eventually, a helicopter from the Chinese ice breaker Xue Long succeeded ferrying Turney and his crew to safety. ² Janne Nova reported, “Let there be no doubt, the mission was to document and record scientific changes in Antarctica and to broadcast that to the world. Most scientific missions don't have a dedicated media team, but this one managed a staff of five journalists. If they'd discovered less sea ice, fewer penguins, or big cracks, we know the images would be all over the mass media and it would be evidence of 'climate change.' But with the Akademik Shokalskiy trapped by thick sea ice, the mission apparently was to call it a tourist boat.” ³ Her words could well apply to the recent Arctic trip would did not receive much publicity.

References

1. “Large Canadian Arctic global warming study canceled due to climate change,” news.umanitoba.ca, June 14, 2017
2. Pierre Gosselin, “Ice breker which helped rescue Turney's 'ship of fools' gets jammed in meters-thick summer time Antarctic sea ice,” notrickszone.com, February 29, 2014
3. Joanne Nova, “Third icebreaker abandons rescue of climate scientist boat in Antarctica, media fog obscure, don't say climate,” joannenova.com, December 30, 2014

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