Saturday, May 16, 2009

The Guardian Relocates The North Pole By 500km


"After 73 days, the Catlin Arctic Survey has come to an end. Pen Hadow’s team of British Arctic explorers have battled to the North Pole through freezing conditions collecting data about the ice en route."
 
Er, not quite.
 
  1. Due to horrifically cold weather, hypothermia and frostbite, they made it less than half way to the pole.
  2. Some of the distance they did travel was due to polar drift.  They reported crossing the 85th parallel “in their sleep.”
  3. They started on ice which was already known to be first year ice, yet were “surprised” to find that it was first year ice.
  4. They stayed on first year ice for most of the truncated journey.
  5. Their ice measurements tell us that the first year ice this year is fairly thick.
  6. Their ice measurements tell us very little...about the thickness or “health” of multi-year ice.
  7. They will no doubt get an invite to St. James Palace for tea with Prince Charles
 
Full post at Watts Up With That?
 

Posted via email from Garth's posterous

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