USCGC Healy 2015

[Vergent]

USCGC Healy has it's AloftCon up and running. Neven, you need to update the link:

http://icefloe.net/Aloftcon_Photos/index.php?album=2015

Verg

[Neven]

Done. Too bad there isn't an automatically updated image I can link to. 

[Vergent]

Thanks Neven.

August 7 to October 12 USCGC Healy will be sailing up to the North Pole to support the GEOTRACES program.  In the East Arctic the Polarstern will be supporting the GEOTRACES.

I hope there will be some ice left to study.

Before that they will be testing oil spill technologies. 

Verg

[Tor Bejnar]

There is also information on the USCGC Healy: scientific mission to the Arctic thread.  Recent posts give info and links associated with the GEOTRACES mission, etc.

[Espen]

Healy is now heading for the 2015 mission:

http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/shipposition.phtml?call=NEPP

[Vergent]

The scientists aboard Healy tried to gather ice measurements along the journey but were stymied by finding slush instead of solid ice until they were within 100 miles of the North Pole, they said in a Coast Guard press release.

"It’s hard to believe how slushy the ice has been so close to the pole; this was the first area we were confident enough in the ice conditions to allow on-ice science experiments," they wrote. "Despite being thick, the ice we encountered further south was simply too soft and unstable to safely put individuals on."

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/0909/Ice-breaker-US-Coast-Guard-sends-first-solo-ship-to-North-Pole-video

Verg

[Tor Bejnar]

I copied Vergent's post to the "USCGC Healy: scientific mission to the Arctic" thread in Arctic Background (History, exploration, expeditions, science).  There is other recent info from this voyage there.