Curiously Polar

During travels to polar areas we usually encounter a lot of ice: icebergs, the pack, growlers, glaciers and icicles just to name a few. It is only natural for us modern people to take pictures of these impressive formations to share our experience with friends and family. But taking pictures of ice is tricky and there are several technical aspects to take into consideration before deciding which strategy to employ to capture the awe we feel when admiring these natural phenomena. Help make this podcast sound better with a donation to the MARIO MICROPHONE FUND.

The Midnight Sun or Polar Day is one of the spectacular characteristics of Polar Areas. Similarly, the Polar Night originates from the same physical characteristics of the Earth and its orbit around the Sun. Both the Polar Day and the Polar Night influence our circadian rhythms and, among other effects, present opportunities to enjoy for an extended period of time the moments when the sun is just above or just below the horizon. These are the moments when the colors of the sky are particularly beautiful. Help make this podcast sound better with a donation to the MARIO MICROPHONE FUND.

Walruses are some of the most peculiar marine mammals of the Arctic and surprisingly present in the cultural heritage of most Europeans even if the vast majority of people would not be able to define their characteristics to a great detail. In this episode we explore and introduce some of the peculiarities of this species without any pretense to make this a rigorous scientific presentation. Help make this podcast sound better with a donation to the MARIO MICROPHONE FUND.

Everybody knows the story of the Titanic and of the tragic accident that cost hundreds of lives. Digging into the details of this fatal event we can trace the most likely origin of the iceberg that sank this ship to a particular glacier in West Greenland. The Jakobshavn Glacier is a spectacular fast-flowing glacier fed from the Greenland Ice Cap that produces some of the most impressive icebergs in the Arctic. Currents in Baffin Bay move some of these blocks of ice south and out into the North Atlantic where they sometime reach major shipping lanes before melting away. Help make this podcast sound better with a donation to the MARIO MICROPHONE FUND.

Whaling is an ancient human activity that has had a great influence on the marine environment with effects ranging from the reduction of several species to the brink of extinction to modifications in the ecosystem. By the 19th century Europeans had managed to reduce the numbers of right whales in their coastal waters to such low numbers that this activity practically ceased on the Old Continent. The Norwegians were instrumental to the industrialization of whaling and the extension of this activity to the high seas and to the southern ocean in the 20th century. As a consequence of inefficient management regimes several species of large whales have risked extinction and are slowly recovering after drastic conservation measures implemented in the late 1980's. But whaling is still practiced in several areas and not necessarily for commercial purposes. Management regimes have been set in place for the large majority of whale populations (The International Whaling Commission and here), but threats to conservation are widespread and difficult to eliminate. Help make this podcast sound better with a donation to the MARIO MICROPHONE FUND.

Glacier fronts and icebergs sometimes appear blue or present veins of beautiful blue ice. The blue color is determined by the large ice crystals and the absence of air bubbles. When snow falls on the ground it accumulates in layers containing a lot of air. As the snow compresses and ages the air is squeezed into smaller bubbles and ultimately the air can be squeezed out of the ice. This is what produces the blue color in glacial ice at any latitude. Blue ice photo by Chris Marquardt

Taking pictures is one of the important activities of visitors of the Arctic and this presents challenges for both humans and equipment. However, in most situations and with just a few tricks and inexpensive extra gear it is possible to use standard cameras and take home the memories of a lifetime. To avoid battery problems, it's advisable to keep a spare battery warm by storing it close to your body, then swap if your camera's battery goes low. Some wildlife requires focal lengths of 600mm or more and in general a zoom lens will come in handy. Some of Chris Marquardt's Arctic Photography

Most of the year polar areas are covered with a coat of snow which makes it challenging for humans to explore. Some of us are expert skiers, but the equipment is often bulky. Snowshoes are a very practical alternative even for those who are not initiated to this kind of gear as generally people quickly learn the basic techniques. Snowshoes are not a modern invention and the contemporary models build on a long tradition originating from different part of the Arctic.

A frequent question from the interested laymen is: “how many whales are there?”. The answer is not trivial and it is of utmost importance, not only for purely academic reasons, but also for the management and conservation of the different species. For example, it is essential to know the abundance of a species at different point in time to be able to determine if there is a decline or an increase that would indicate a potential large variation in ecosystem characteristics. From the mark-recapture technique to line-transect sampling we try to summarize and describe the most important techniques for determine the numbers of cetaceans.

Bearded seals are a pan-arctic species and derive their name from their long whiskers. These hairs often curl as the seals get dry after a long haul out on land or on ice. Their fur is almost homogeneously grey with different tones around the eyes and nose. In Svalbard, in particular, where they find their benthic food in the mud from eroded basaltic rocks, they get tanned by the reddish sediments over most of their head. A particular characteristic of male bearded seals is their underwater singing during the breeding period in the spring. These calls make one wonder about the origins of the belief in the singing of mermaids and can be heard through the hull of a vessel. Having a hydrophone at hand surely improves the quality of the performance. These instruments are fairly simple devices for listening to the multitude of fascinating underwater sounds.