Oden and Louis S. St-Laurent travelling together through the ice. Photo: Åsa Lindgren

On our way to the next coring position at 88° north, we were able to fly out some researchers to an ice station to sample snow, water and ice.

Katarina Gårdfeldt is focusing on mercury in the polar regions and at the ice stations, the group is sampling snow and ice for analyses in the lab back on Oden.

Katarina Gårdfeldt and Runa Skarbø collecting snow samples at an ice station. Photo: Åsa Lindgren

La Daana Kanhai is sampling water, snow and ice for microplastics and on an ice station she is drilling through the ice and will then pump 1,000 litres through a sieve with a filter. The filter is brought back to the lab and stored for analyses back at her university in Ireland.

Runa Skarbø is work package leader for a group from Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim focusing on ice management and properties.

Ice station campaigns can be done even when the icebreakers steam on, thanks to our helicopter crew.

Oden from a helicopter full of equipment. Photo: Åsa Lindgren