Ártico | foto do dia

What an amazing weekend on #ArcticLive! With a great first week of Skype calls completed with schools around the world, we had the chance to head to the field to work with the research team here at the UK Arctic Research Station in Ny Alesund.

The team are researching the meltwater channels that run through a glacier near Ny Alesund, the Austre Broggerbreen. To access these meltwater channels involves an abseil down a 'moulin', a water-worn shaft into the glacier.

The descent is about 45 metres into this incredible ice cathedral. It is hard to convey with a photo how breath taking this was. Tomorrow, we'll be updating you on how the research is going and its relevance to the Arctic and wider environment.

But for today, an image to share with your classes to show where a degree in a field research discipline (and studying geography and science) can take you.

Love from the Arctic,

Jamie 

Ártico | foto do dia

After a few technical hitches of the past days, we are now in Ny Alesund, at the UK Arctic Research Station.

It was an earlier start than usual as there are high winds headed our way, full of 'wet' snow from the North Atlantic. The weather continues to confuse, and we are due temperatures above freezing overnight.

It's wonderful to be back at this most northerly permanent settlement at 79 degrees North. Later today and tomorrow we'll be joining up with the research team, exploring the inside of the glacier, the Broggerbreen. They've been setting up over the past days and have some great footage already, which we'll share shortly.

A glorious daybreak over the runway at Ny Alesund after a bit of a bumpy landing. Do post any questions you have on our Skype group or twitter.

Love from the Arctic,

Jamie 

Ártico | foto do dia

The sun hadn't shone into the valley properly until yesterday. This return of the sun to the town is celebrated as solfest each year on the 8th March.

In the polar regions the sun is slightly different to more temperate or tropical climes. The sun never gets very high in the sky. Although, we now have sun in the valley, it won't get higher than 8 degrees above the horizon, normally blocked from view by the steep sides of the fjord.

But, thankfully there is some sun at the moment. From 26th October to 17th February, there is no sun at all and the town lives in complete darkness or perhaps just a pale twilight. The seasons and changing fast here, and in just two months, it will be 24 hours of daylight on 19th April.

Although, we are not really feeling the sun's warmth at the moment, the light up here is incredibly, with hours of dawn and dusk to enjoy.

Love from the Arctic,

Jamie

Ártico | foto do dia

So a slightly different start to #ArcticLive this year. On arrival in Longyearbyen at 78 degrees north, it was raining, in March. It was colder in Leeds in the UK over the weekend, than on this Arctic archipelago.

This image is of the temperature anomaly across the world and especially in the Arctic in February this year, and is from an excellent article on the Slate website describing how the temperatures at the moment are truly astounding. Whether this is a blip or part of a longer term trend remains to be seen.

#ArcticLive is about giving classes around the world an insight into Arctic expeditions and science, and this year is no different. We will be keeping you up to date with all the science and adventures up here over the next two weeks. Do join in via Skype group chat, Periscope, Explore Live or browseour new resources (more coming soon!).

But as the great Sir David Attenborough said, "No one will protect what they don't care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced." We hope to provide some of that experience through #ArcticLive, and this year feels more urgent than ever.

Love from the Arctic,

Jamie

Círculo Polar Ártico

Olha quem passou acima do Círculo Polar Ártico? Sabes onde fica?... Google Maps... eheheh

Allô, allô! É do Ártico?

O nosso Skype com o explorador do Ártico Jamie Buchanan-Dunlop aproxima-se a passos largos!!! Dia 17 de Março, às 12:30 na sala de música. Reservado a membros. ;)

Fomos a uma aula de 'social studies'... nos EUA!

Hoje voltamos a falar com uma turma dos Estados Unidos. Como estavam na aula de Social Studies (Estudos Socias), fizeram-nos muitas perguntas sobre a nossa cultura, os nossos hábitos, etc. e contaram-nos algumas coisas do país deles também.

São do Novo México, um 'pequeno' estado com cerca de dois milhões de habitantes! É uma região muito árida, tipo deserto. Mas têm quatro estações como nós!

Moram em Lovington e para chegar à praia (de mar) mais próxima demoram 'só' 10-12 horas!!!

Foi super interessante e até já começamos a entender melhor o que eles dizem... ;)

- Obrigado, prof. Fred Castellanos!

Mais uma excelente actividade... eCLUB! ;)