ANT-XXVI/3, Weekly Report No. 1

28 January - 7 February 2010

The ice-sheet of West Antarctica is the main focus of our RV Polarstern expedition. How has this ice-sheet, with a potential of 3-5 m sea-level rise, evolved during latest Earth’s history? Why are parts of the ice-sheet in the Amundsen Sea area retreating at an enormous rate? Have there been times in the past in which the ice-sheet completely disappeared? These are some of the significant questions we will be dealing with on this voyage. But let’s move to the beginning of a hopefully exciting expedition.

New Zealand – Aotearoa – land of the long white cloud. Since its commissioning 27 years ago, Polarstern will depart for the first time from New Zealand on its voyage to Antarctica. Due to two subsequent cruise legs in the southern Pacific this Antarctic season 2009/10, a New Zealand port was chosen for the exchange of crew and scientific teams. The previous cruise leg ANT-XXVI/2 ended in Wellington on 26 January with happy scientists who had collected a record-like number of valuable geological samples from the stormy southern Pacific.

At this first-time visit of Polarstern in Wellington, the German Ambassador and the AWI Director held a reception on board of the ship. More than 80 guests from research institutions, science organizations and port administration took this opportunity to take part in guided tours around the ship and obtained an impression of its capability. On 28 January, the 52 new members of the scientific party of ANT-XXVI/3 stepped off the bus at the gangway and carried suitcases, backpacks and boxes onto the ship. They inspected the cabins and explored the various decks and stairways of the ship for orientation. The excitement in light of the upcoming expedition was written on their faces. The new crew of 44 arrived the following day. After the crew changeover and a farewell, Polarstern left the beautiful bay of Wellington Harbor on a sunny afternoon for the short transit to Lyttelton, the port of Christchurch. Fuel supply difficulties in Wellington forced us to bunker diesel fuel in Lyttelton. After bunkering and customs formalities, Polarstern was able to depart from Lyttelton on the afternoon of 31 January on its transit to Antarctica.

On the first day at sea, the science groups were very busy unpacking containers and expedition boxes as well as installing gear and utilities in the laboratories. Having enjoyed the fine summer weather in New Zealand waters, we were soon experiencing the first major storm a couple of days out at high sea. This large storm forced us to change course and, unfortunately, made us modify our research plans for the first days during which we were supposed to conduct a geophysical pre-site survey at a proposed scientific drill site in the south-west Pacific. Instead, we decided to survey alternative drill sites west of the track we had originally planned on our route to the Ross Sea of Antarctica. Research in the Southern Ocean between 50 and 60 degrees South is prone to be a dance between the low-pressure areas circling these latitudes.

Yesterday, we arrived in Antarctic waters, noticeable at the enormously reduced air and water temperatures. The first icebergs fill the storage media of digital cameras….

In the next weekly letters, we will introduce the various working groups, their research goals and methods, and will report of the progress of our expedition.


With best regards
Karsten Gohl
(Chief Scientist)