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Expedition: NOA-Svalbard 2012

31 July 2012 - 7 September 2012 Svalbard

The first morning at home

9 September 2012

This is the last report from NOA-Svalbard and the participants want to thank everybody and all organizations who contributed to the success of this expedition. And thank you for following us during the last month!

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A wonderful day!

6 September 2012

Shortly after we arrived to the Polish station two days ago we got the message that our helicopter flight to two inland localities and then back to Longyearbyen was adjourned to Friday.

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Getting ready to leave Hyttevika

4 September 2012

Half past eleven last night our two saviours from the Polish station arrived at Hyttevika. After a small party we went to bed and got up early in the morning. They had to go to Werenskioldbreen and get data from a couple of data loggers, we had to get ready for leaving Hyttevika.

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Polar bear

2 September 2012

Yesterday, in the early evening, the polar bear came back. Three of us were enjoying a nap while I thought that there was something around the house which is more than the wind.

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One month on Svalbard

1 September 2012

At half past seven in the morning the four from Werenhus arrived at Hyttevika. They were on their way to the Polish station to board M/S Horyzont II for the trip back to Poland.

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A cancelled trip

31 August 2012

Not much new today. Bad visibility because of low clouds and wet. Better around noon, but our trip to Vimsodden and Skoddebukta is cancelled since all the sand in the outboard engine blocks now the switching of gears. And we can't fix it, although we tried.

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Hüttenkoller

27 August 2012

A good night's sleep. The wind is down. We checked the outboard engine and the obvious damages are the hood, a broken cover in the engine (including the cast aluminum bolts), an electrical connection, two pipes and the fixation of the pressure sensor for the fuel injection system – and sand, sand, sand everywhere.

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Trying to secure the Zodiac

26 August 2012

I woke up about half past six when a board from the bed above mine fell down on me while the hut was shaking in the wind gusts. A minute later Majek shouted his alarm – the Zodiac was moving again.

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Heavy wind and a broken boat

25 August 2012

We escaped from Båthamna with the evening high tide on the 23rd. Strong winds around Sørkapp and from the largest glacier in the area, Olsokbreen, made the first 90 minutes of the trip rather uncomfortable.

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No big surprises

22 August 2012

In calm but cloudy weather we walked again northwards to better understand the structure and stratigraphy of the area we visited two days ago.

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Båthamna

20 August 2012

Båthamna (boat-harbour) is a small (~ 100 m) northwards opening bay in the about 10 km wide southwards opening Sommerfeldtbukta. Obviously a perfectly sheltered place for a boat.

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Next stop, Sørkapp

20 August 2012

We spent most of yesterday with minimizing our personal equipment for the Zodiac trip to Sørkapp and using the internet connection at the Polish station for work and private things.

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In Hornsund

18 August 2012

This morning we arrived at the Polish research station in Hornsund in beautiful and calm weather. A warm shower is nice after two and half weeks washing/bathing in glacial streams.

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Alasdairhornet

16 August 2012

The weather wasn't exciting this morning, but better than yesterday. We walked southwards towards Alasdairhornet where the rain caught us.

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Fieldwork at Skipperryggen

15 August 2012

Yesterday we got up at 4 am, but getting us and the Zodiac ready took longer than expected. We left the camp at half past five, probably waking up the sailor who had anchored his mighty yacht in the deep water on the other side of Selvågen.

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A beautiful morning

12 August 2012

A beautiful morning. No wind, the clouds rising, we could almost see the sun. Thus, we began the day with successfully drying our equipment – from tents via sleeping bags to clothes – and went later for fieldwork along the southern shore of Selvågen, looking mainly for the tillite (glacial deposits) marked on the maps.

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Moving to camp 2

11 August 2012

We woke up in an absolutely calm morning. Still a lot of moisture and some fog in the air, but good weather conditions for the move to camp 2, at least to try to get the first equipment there.

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Waiting for better weather

11 August 2012

The weather seemed to improve this morning, although the barometer now began to drop. Everything is ready for the move and we can break the camp any time the weather is suitable. But unfortunately, we have to wait for another day.

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Preparing to go south

9 August 2012

The barometer shows increasing air pressure, but outside it is still the same – relative air humidity must be at the condensation point. Everything is getting wet just by being exposed to the air.

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A trip to Grimaldibukta

7 August 2012

Another beautiful morning, sunshine and no wind. We made the Zodiac ready for a trip to Grimaldibukta, to look for more high grade metamorphic rocks of the Pinkie Formation.

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To Bouréefjellet

6 August 2012

A bang woke us up in the night – Jarek and I jumping out of our tents with the rifles ready. But it was just the fox who is frequently visiting the camp area, this time pulling one of the lower trip wires...

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Electronic repair

6 August 2012

The first thing today was some panorama photography in the camp, the second to repair the 12V charger for the computer – otherwise there wouldn't have been more entries here.

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A reconnaissance trip

4 August 2012

Today it is again cold and windy. We decided to go for a reconnaissance trip through the late Neoproterozoic Taylorfjellet, Glenbergdalen and MacNairrabbane units.

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Arrival at Richardlaguna

4 August 2012

At 8 am we met up at the harbour where the captain and owner of M/S FARM, Stig Henningsen, was already waiting for us. After stowing the remaining equipment and a group photo in front of the ship we sat immediately course for Prins Karls Forland. The weather was still calm but cloudy.

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Travel to Longyearbyen

31 July 2012

Waiting here at Tromsö airport for the continuation of the flight to Longyearbyen is the right time to start the expedition diary and an introduction to the research project NOA.

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