All of these pictures were taken on a scientific cruise with the Norwegian coast guard icebreaker «KV Svalbard». We were a group of four scientists, funded by the International Polar Year (IPY) research programme. We left Longyearbyen, the main Norwegian settlement on Svalbard, near the end of February, 2008, and spent just under a week in the sea-ice. An unforgettable adventure. Click here for my Norwegian and English home pages.

  • Arctic sunrise near Svalbard
  • Approaching the sea-ice edge on a coast guard icebreaker in Storfjorden, Svalbard
  • Hauling equipment onto the sea-ice in Storfjorden, Svalbard. In the background we see coast guard crew playing football and we can just glimpse the polar bear guard with a gun behind the ship
  • Radiation equipment has just been deployed on the sea-ice in Storfjorden, Svalbard. The low winter sun is just rising
  • Getting hauled down onto the sea-ice in Storfjorden, Svalbard
  • The edge of the sea-ice and the mountains in Storfjorden, Svalbard
  • Scientists left these footprints on the sea-ice near Svalbard in the Arctic
  • The wake of an icebreaker in Storfjorden, Svalbard, just before sunrise
  • Arctic smoke is steaming from the sea in the freezing polar air masses near Svalbard
  • Arctic smoke forms as very cold air moves over relatively warm water near Svalbard.
  • Sea smoke
  • Sea smoke and mountains near Svalbard
  • Prof. Jochen Reuder watching and filming the intense sea smoke near Svalbard
  • Infinite sea-ice near Svalbard
  • Preparations for a flight to Longyearbyen
  • Take-off in the sea-ice near Svalbard
  • A helicopter leaves for Longyearbyen
  • Arctic sunrise near Svalbard
  • A long stretch of sea-ice separates us from mainland Spitzbergen
  • Prof. Jochen Reuder deploys the remote controlled aircraft «SUMO». It can be used to measure wind, humidity and temperature in the lower part of the atmosphere
  • Watching the «SUMO» in flight
  • The «SUMO» is up there somewhere
  • Watching and controlling the «SUMO»
  • The «SUMO» in action