Image

Ice Base

January 14, 2016

Data from the ice-covered Arctic Ocean are hard to come by because the region is extremely remote and the environment hostile. Scientists and engineers are overcoming these challenges by deploying ice-based observatories (IBOs) such as this one, which operate autonomously for months or years at a time to make measurements that paint a picture of the complex interactions between atmosphere, ice, and ocean throughout the year. Observations from the “high latitudes” (far north and south) are increasingly important as these regions warm and sea ice disappears.(Photo by Rick Krishfield, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)