The Loadout
RESOLUTE BAY, NUNAVUT, CANADA—A field expedition begins long before researchers and technicians ever get into the field. The process starts years in advance, when scientists propose their ideas for field work and science experiments. Then they revise their ideas, gain funding (or not), and plan the logistics of taking the laboratory out into nature. The equipment gets built and tested, the plane tickets are purchased, and the crates are packed.
This week, scientists, divers, pilots, technicians, and engineers finally converged in Resolute, Canada, for their last jump to the North Pole Environmental Observatory (NPEO), close to the geographic North Pole. These science expeditions have been organized since 2000 by the University of Washington and are supported by the Russian ice camp operation known as “Borneo.” For Arctic explorers, the long build-up is over. Anticipation is building, and ideas are soon to become actions.
Read on about our adventure in the slideshow below. Can't see the slideshow? Get the Flash plug in »
