Follow Dr Swift's Letters from the Arctic
On 09 August 2015, the US Coast Guard science icebreaker Healy left the Aleutian Islands port of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, bound for the Arctic Ocean. 51 scientists, approximately 90 Coast Guard officers and crew began a long-planned 65-day voyage to study the geochemistry of the Arctic Ocean: Arctic GEOTRACES 2015.
Among the science party are eight scientists and technicians from Scripps, all playing important roles in conducting experiments that will help provide the most comprehensive understanding of the Arctic Ocean’s chemical composition ever. This new information will be used by scientists to determine the rates of many geochemical, biogeochemical, and physical processes in this small, but significant, ocean.
Dr. Jim Swift, a research oceanographer at Scripps who is serving as Arctic Repeat Hydrography Lead Scientist, is sending regular letters home from the ship.