glaciers
Highlights
Only Glaciers Know
Discussing the complicated interconnections between human beings and the landscape of Iceland, the piece is designed to be experienced while walking along the Iceland coastline. It is a sonic documentary and poetic fiction of the enchanting island.
‘Like walking through time’: as glaciers retreat, new worlds are being created in their wake | Glaciers | The Guardian
As Swiss glaciers melt at an ever-faster rate, new species move in and flourish, but entire ecosystems and an alpine culture can be lost Source: ‘Like walking through time’: as glaciers retreat, new worlds are being created in their wake | Glaciers | The Guardian
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Arctic Blog Saturday Oct 8th – drill and party night
Saturday 8/10/2016. Kongsijorden Bay 79°00'0.00" N 11°39'59.99" 3°C, 10m/sec; Sunrise 09:29 – Sunset 17:58 The sun is rising slowly above a blue/grey sea; daylight is noticeably later now than when we set off. Pink light reflects off the mountains, sedimentary layers lie horizontal, then swoop diagonally and fold together, forced upwards by some huge seismic activity which took place probably more than 410-440 million years ago The wind drops to gusts of 5 knots, ‘a moderate sea’; a big swell as we head out to sea. Sails raised the ship stabilizes, much to the relief of seasick passengers, and finally we leave Ymerbukta. Sailing out of Isfjorden we head north, bright morning sun shining on the Alkhornet Mountain. The colours are dazzling; such a contrast to yesterday. In celebration lunch is taken on deck, and the Captain gives an impromptu lecture on navigation with setsquare, compass and GPS. (Pic) We learn that being so far north plotting positions needs to take into account compass variations due to boat drift and the North Pole’s magnetic pull. Apparently if you are near either the north or the south pole, a compass becomes useless. It points towards the magnetic pole, which is not the true geographic pole. Those two poles could be quite far apart and in different directions. Magnetic North Pole is not the same as "true north;" it is several hundreds miles further south of geographic North Pole. Earth's iron core and movement within its outer part generates a Magnetic field, and the magnetic North and South Poles are where the field is vertical. A true-color image taken on May 5, 2000, by an instrument aboard NASA's Terra spacecraft, over the North Pole, with sea ice shown in white and open water in black. Credit: Image by Allen Lunsford, NASA GSFC Direct Readout Laboratory; Data courtesy Tromso receiving station, Svalbard, NorwayThe difference between magnetic and geographic pole is called declination. Since its discovery in 1831, the magnetic North Pole has been around Canada’s Ellesmere Island, about 500 miles (800 kilometers) from the geographic North Pole. But the magnetic field drifts, causing the angle of declination to change over time. Currently, magnetic North Pole moves about 25 miles each year in a northwest direction - at a faster rate than it has moved since tracking began in the 1830s. Eventually, magnetic North and South Poles will move to the point that they “flip” and compasses will then point south.The last “flip” occurred 730,000 years ago. (info from http://www.livescience.com/41955-north-pole.html)How to tell how fast we're going.. The Knotmaster! I walk the deck staring out at the passing mountains and sea and draw rapidly. graphite (in mini sketchbook)graphite, charcoal and pastel (mini-sketchbook)watercolour and pastel with seawaterNorthern fulmars are following us; a flock of what I think are guillemots fly past skimming low over the waves. The ship’s siren sounds - a call to assemble on deck for drill. A scrabble to don life jackets and warm clothing; we line up on port and starboard sides according to cabin numbers. The crew struggle into bright orange flotation suits that don’t look at all comfortable, but then I guess that would be the least of their worries if it came to it. (pics) The captain strides amongst us checking, adjusting jackets DrillToday is spent travelling, the sea growing increasingly calm. We pass mountain ranges covered in snow on one side of the boat, bare red/brown sandstone rock face on the other. I take my paper and paint and charcoal to the back deck where it's less windy (and populated) and sit and draw for a while. Ink and charcoal mixed with seawaterink, watercolour and seawaterThen lying on a bench I fall asleep lulled by the ships movements, to be woken by the shout that two Pilot whales have been spotted. Our surroundings grow increasingly dramatic. Sun setting, orange tinged horizon in a darkening sky with feather clouds, we arrive in a bay hemmed in by snow-covered mountains. Anchor dropped, we are at Blomstrandhamna, 78°59,6´N, 012°04.6´E, a bay in Haakon VII Land at Spitsbergen, Svalbard, the northern side of Kongsfjorden, and north of Blomstrandhalvøyamoored Before us is the shadowy glacier Blomstrandbreen under a now clear star-filled sky. Finally, silence, interrupted by occasional sounds of glacial carving. No wind, but some promised for tomorrow – maybe a kite flying day? Small invitations have been slipped under our cabin doors. Tonight is fancy-dress party night. We are all invited to attend. I dress as the glacier queen and float into the saloon. Fancy dress party night - Pic by Tama BaldwinDancing manically, music floats (or perhaps blasts) out into the darkness of the polar night. It seems quite insane, frivolous even, given the overwhelming beauty of our surroundings, but even in the Arctic one has to party! The Captain appears, dressed in a woman’s bra and grass skirt. Hmm… I sidle off to bed.
• Arctic Blog: Friday 7th October – ‘Værfast’ (Ymerbukta)
--> Friday 7/10/2016 2°C, Ymerbukta. 20m/s; Sunrise 09:21 – Sunset 18:06. Sea state – moderate; wind speed 7-8, gusting wind, speeds of up to 20 knots predicted. Grey-green sea, small waves break the surface.A hint of spindrift. Mist hovering, mountain shapes disappearing re-appearing. We are moving yet going nowhere. Last night the boat was moved closer to the entrance of the fjord, but despite two anchors we've been pulled half way back to where we originally moored on the northern side of the fjord. In the morning we reach a speed of 0.5 knots despite two anchors and 270m of chain out.The wind howls and gusts; a lull before it starts again. This isn’t a full blown-storm, force 7 is not so much - a moderate gale - but for this sailboat it is and we can't venture out into open sea, can’t leave the safety of the fjord, we are ´værfast´ so we stay put. We anchor. Some of the hardier amongst us jump into the sea from the boat with ropes tied around their waists. Not for me, therein lies madness!A small break in an otherwise grey overcast featureless sky. I make out dark shapes of mountains, no detail. It clears a little; snow on peaks, a few tiny buildings - trapper huts - on the shoreline. Waves racing towards land, white foam breaking, swirling, twisting. Colours change. Close to land there’s a strip of brown sea, on the far side of the boat the sea is a pale blue. The glacier reappears in front of us. Later, an apricot glow in the sky over the glacier, the sea looks much greener. On deck I make four paintings, well they make themselves as paint is blown across the paper by wind, washed by rain. ink, charcoal and pastel washed with rainpastel and charcoal and rain waterink, pastel and raincharcoal and pastel with rain waterEarly evening the sea becomes brown; a heavy sky, cloud and mist moving rapidly over the mountains. Every so often a loud gust of wind sweeps across the sea sending large waves racing shore-wards. The air is full of sound – anything that’s loose is moving, banging, rattling. Click on link below to see short film I've posted on Vimeo:https://vimeo.com/201751970?utm_source=email&utm_medium=vimeo-cliptranscode-201504&utm_campaign=29220In fading light I am drawing composites records of our movements. Very small drawings in a cut-down sketchbook. I start to worry I might run out of paper.Early evening we travel back to the southern shore, and anchor. A few hours later it’s clear that a single anchor is not holding us, a 2nd anchor goes down; we are still stuck in the fjord Maybe we will escape tomorrow. The northern lights put in a brief appearance.
• Arctic Blog: Wednesday 5th October 2016 Tunabreen
--> Wednesday 5/10/2016 Tunabreen 4°C, 2m/s Sunrise 09:05 – Sunset 18:23The Antigua remains anchored in front of the glacier. The day is overcast and raining which makes for dramatic cloud, drifting mist hanging in the mountains, the sea brown against a mass of luminous chunks of blue and white ice floating on its surface. The Belugas reappear, five white backs breaking the surface in unison. Last night I was sure we were moving since the boat was swaying so much. All that thudding and scrapping and shifting can now be attributed to glacial calving creating swell that rocked the boat. Most people go on the shore, a few remain inside writing or working on their computers. I remain on deck and try to paint – not very successfully, but later I lean over the side of the boat and hoist up seawater in a bucket and add it to pastels and charcoal, and the drawings start to work. Tunabreen - glacier from the Antigua charcoal and graphite on paperusing charcoal and sea waterusing ink, pastels and sea waterApart from the crew working or loitering on deck for a quick smoke I’m pretty much on my own. It’s peaceful; every so often there is a glacial calving, and we all stop and look towards the sound. I can never get to photograph one of these happening - you just never know when and where... but the sound is always startling and disturbing. According to Wikipedia glacier carving is a form of ice ablation or ice disruption and caused by the glacier expanding, which causes the sudden release and breaking away of a mass of ice from a glacier. The ice that breaks away can be classified as an iceberg, but may also be a growler, bergy bit, or a crevasse wall breakaway. I guess this depends on where it happens. Everyone piles back onto the boat – lunchtime. Later Ellis joins me on deck and we work side by side on the only table on deck, and we both marvel at the landscape and feel overwhelmed and wonder what on earth to do with it all. Ellis O'Connor and Janette Kerr - drawing on deck (pic by Spike)charcoal and chalk and a bit of seawaterwatercolour, chalks and seawaterwatercolour, chalks and seawaterWind increasing, the boat swings and shifting, the view changing so my drawings become combinations of different vistas. I draw fast - even more so now we are moving to another location. Early afternoon - anchor up, there are strong southerly winds. Three hours later we arrive at Gipsvika, 78°26,2´N, 016°25,9´E. The snow has gone, the mountains dark, softened by hanging mist.On shore at Gipshukodden, our rifle-toting lookouts form their usual triangle around us marking the area we are allowed to inhabit. As we arrived in front of the glacier three reindeer grazing on the hill make a quick exit. On the beach I walk to the highest place I’m allowed to go, sit and make drawings. Cold fingers.Around me others are occupied in their own tasks; a few draw, the poet and writers slowly pacing and pausing; sound artists donning headphones listen, photographers peer through cameras, tripods spread on ice and even in the sea, others just sit and look. We gather on the shore in the gloom, awaiting the arrival of the zodiacs to transport us back to the Antigua. Photos It definitely feels colder – but probably because I’ve been sitting for so long on the ground drawing. A few hardy folk stay to skinny-dip; I’m tempted but I’m not that mad! They don’t stay in very long. It’s been a busy day, anchor up, we sail out of Isfjorden (which apparently is the largest fjord system in Svalbard), and travel north through the night. Night view - just before we raise anchorOut on deck I can see the far shore and lights of Longyearbyen again. Strange to see them; I feel such a long way from civilization, yet it’s only been two days. I love being out there in the dark. A sky full of stars; the northern lights are out again (not as strong as the previous time).
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