IceLanders

Last week two remote instrumentation platforms called "IceLanders" were deployed via helicopter on the sea ice!

University of Alaska, Fairbanks Prof. Bill Simpson and graduate student Steve Walsh with a deployed IceLander on the sea ice

During the polar spring, bromine activates from sea ice and snow surfaces causing ozone to deplete in the lower atmosphere and also implicated to mercury deposition.  The IceLander is a mobile instrument package that measures bromine monoxide, ozone, and meteorological parameters.  This suite of observations will facilitate researchers in understanding the chemistry occurring in the lower atmosphere over sea ice. 

Deployment map of the IceLanders and the University of Alaska, Fairbanks' resident instrument that measures BrO at Barrow, AK

 

 

 

The IceLanders will drift on their respective ice floes for the next several weeks while making chemical measurements.  Data is telemetered autonomously via satellite to servers accessible on the internet.  Horizontal gradients of BrO and ozone between the IceLanders will be calculated from observations at each site to determine if there is a correlation with distinct ice features (e.g. frost flowers, nilas ice, open lead, blowing snow, etc.).

Webcam image from IceLander 2

This project, led by the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, is a collaboration with NASA, the Cold Regions Research & Engineering Laboratory, and Purdue University!

For an awesome video of the IceLander 1 deployment, see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcfIAqiod1M&feature=youtu.be

Thank you to University of Alaska, Fairbanks graduate student Steve Walsh for this great post!