Arriving in Franz Josef Land

Today we traversed the ice between 83 30'N and 81 45'N, arriving at Rudolf Island in the north of Franz Josef Land this evening.

We have seen less old ice today, and all ice has been thinner than we have experienced further north. However, we have seen less melt on the floe surfaces in evidence.

At 83 20'N we saw around 3/10 old ice (150cm thick) and 7/10 1st year (100cm thick), and 2/10 melt cover on both. By 82N we had just 0-1/10 old ice, still around 150cm thick. 1st year ice decreased to 60-70cm in thickness at the same time. On both ice types we had just 1/10 melt cover by 82N, and on the 1st year ice we again saw very shallow ponds with very low freeboard. More rotten ice became evident at the edges of the 1st year floes but rotten ice was never extensive. 1st year floes were consistently up to Medium/Large.

On arrival in FJL we found very jumbled ice, in places it was more ridge than flat floe. In addition, around Rudolf Island more open water was evident, with ice concentration varying from 5-8/10.

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