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Dispatch 3: Prepped and ready for anything!

Jennifer Kosty (Yale University)

September 20, 2026

13:40 local, 68.41◦N, 113.43◦W

Conditions:

  • Clear skies
  • 0% sea ice cover
  • 6.1◦C
  • Sunrise: 07:08 (local)
  • Sunset: 19:44 (local)
  • Day length: 12 hours, 36 minutes

Today’s theme was preparedness (for both ship-wide emergencies and our upcoming science operations!). We participated in a ship-wide emergency drill, which began with the alarm bells ringing just after lunch. Everyone grabbed their life jackets and cold weather gear and headed to their designated muster locations. I was assigned to muster in the helicopter hanger, along with the rest of the science team and several members of the ship’s crew. After everyone was accounted for, we went outside and discussed the procedure for boarding and launching the lifeboats. The science team is now ready to “assist as directed” in the case of any ship-wide emergency.

After the drill, we continued to cruise towards our first science station (AG5) at a swift 15 knots (~17 miles per hour). However, we did slow down briefly so Takuji Waseda could set up an infrared camera on the forward deck. This camera will be used to collect sea ice thickness measurements as we transit through the Canada Basin. Meanwhile, Chris Clarke and Chloe Immonen led a training session for the CTD watch standers. Over the next 4 weeks, the watches (separated into a day and night shift) will be collecting data using the CTD rosette. Stay tuned for more information about the types of data we are collecting in the upcoming dispatches!

In the evening, we were treated to views of a large iceberg as we continued to steam ahead. We anticipate reaching AG5 around 9 am tomorrow morning, at which point the watches will put their training to the test and complete our first science station!

 

 

The most recent sea ice concentration map for the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas (Source: https://data.seaice.uni-bremen.de/databrowser/).
The most recent sea ice concentration map for the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas (Source: https://data.seaice.uni-bremen.de/databrowser/).
(left to right) Tsukushi Komura, Hayate Kato, and Kazu Tateyama during the ship-wide emergency drill. Photo by Jennifer Kosty.
(left to right) Tsukushi Komura, Hayate Kato, and Kazu Tateyama during the ship-wide emergency drill. Photo by Jennifer Kosty.
Chloe Immonen and Monika Loevenmark trying on their immersion suits. Photo by Jennifer Kosty.
Chloe Immonen and Monika Loevenmark trying on their immersion suits. Photo by Jennifer Kosty.
Takuji Waseda setting up an infrared camera for measuring sea ice thickness. Photo by Jennifer Kosty.
Takuji Waseda setting up an infrared camera for measuring sea ice thickness. Photo by Jennifer Kosty.
Sunset over Cambridge Bay. Photo by Monika Loevenmark.
Sunset over Cambridge Bay. Photo by Monika Loevenmark.