20 July 2010
North of 60 Again- Greetings from Greenland!
Posted by Dan Satterfield
Crossing the Greenland Coast near the Arctic Circle. Dan's pic Monday 19 July.
On approach to Kangerlussiuq. Dan's pic July19, 2010. Click for larger version. Can you spot the two glaciers??
Well I have made it back to Greenland and the Arctic. Seven months and 8 days ago I was at the South Pole. This morning I wake up 60 miles on the cold side of the Arctic Circle.
If the weather holds, and that is iffy, the NY 109th Air Guard will land us on a ski equipped LC130 at NEEM around 11am. I will then be just around 700 miles from the North pole.
Rumour has it that the NEEM drill team has gone all the way through the Eemian ice and are pulling up ice from the ice age before it! It is amazing that one of the most important scientific endeavours of the past decade is unheard of by the world at large.
However, that is about to change. A group of European press will be coming up with us. They will stay just a few hours, while I along with David Stroud, our videographer, and Robert Freeland, the sound expert will be there at least 5 nights. They are shooting top quality video for a documentary.
Refuel stop at Goose Bay in Labrador. The NY Air Guard are the only group in the world who can fly the scientists and researchers to the top and bottom of the world. I flew a plane just like this one to the South Pole just 7 months ago. These folks are heroes to the science folks.
There is decent high speed Internet here at the KISS facility in Kanger. There will be none at NEEM. The sleeping ports will be just below freezing, but I have been given very warm clothing! The sleeping bag is good to 30 below! Weather is iffy so you may get another post later tonight if we cannot land today.
Leaving the map of civilisation at 9am…
Dan
Dan Satterfield has worked as an on air meteorologist for 32 years in Oklahoma, Florida and Alabama. Forecasting weather is Dan's job, but all of Earth Science is his passion. This journal is where Dan writes about things he has too little time for on air. Dan blogs about peer-reviewed Earth science for Junior High level audiences and up.
Hi Dan, everyone at the Earth Gauge team is hoping you got there safely and excited to hear your reports. Can’t believe it’s only been 6 months since our South Pole trip and now you’re at the other end of the Earth. Best of Luck.