Aaaand we’re off to another round: VAMPIRE-2 has started last week on board of the research vessel Polarstern as part of the CONTRASTS campaign. We boarded the ship in Tromsø where our amazing support team (Johanna, Nils, Pavel, and Mario) had already installed and calibrated most of the instruments on the deck of Polarstern the previous days. We set off towards the north and also installed the radiation sensors on a mast at the bow of the ship which now have to be cleaned regularly wearing a life vest and a harness. With all devices up and standing, we finally reached the ice edge yesterday morning and could start measuring sea ice emissivity on top of the ongoing atmospheric measurements. More importantly, we now take every opportunity to go outside and watch the sea ice, its always fluctuating shapes and colors as we pass through it.
Stay tuned to hear of our first ice station coming soon!