Detecting the dangers of Greenland's giant icebergs
December 4, 2012 -- Updated 1552 GMT (2352 HKT)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- CNN's Fred Pleitgen joins Danish meteorologists as they chart the passage of Greenland icebergs
- More icebergs have been observed in recent years but experts unsure of long-term trend
- Observers fly missions three times a week before filing reports on dangerous ice
- Ice Patrol founded after "Greenlandic Titanic" sank off the island's coast in 1959 killing all crew and passengers
One phenomenon that is
often used to illustrate ice melt in the Arctic is giant icebergs, often
the size of whole towns or even small countries, breaking off the ice
shield and drifting south.
In reality, icebergs
constantly break off both the arctic ice shield and Greenland's inland
glaciers, a process that scientists call calving.
To find out whether that
process is accelerating a CNN crew traveled to southern Greenland, to
the small village Narsarsuaq, where the Danish Meteorological Institute
(DMI) keep a unique unit of experts.
They are called the Ice
Patrol and the unit consists of ship navigators and pilots who fly
across the south of this vast island to monitor the movement of
icebergs, to prevent collisions with cargo ships navigating in the
waters around Greenland.
"If the icebergs have been traveling in the water a long time they become almost colorless and nearly invisible in the ocean
Jane Robertson
Jane Robertson
"We keep an eye out for
icebergs that are bunched together in narrow waterways," said ice
observer Jane Robertson on an airborne mission around the southern tip
of Greenland. While big icebergs can pose a threat to vessels going
through here, surprisingly it is smaller ice pieces that are even more
dangerous.
"The smaller icebergs are
much harder to detect," Robertson said as she was surveying the ice
with her binoculars, "especially if the icebergs have been traveling in
the water a long time they become almost colorless and nearly invisible
in the ocean."
Flying over the majestic
landscapes of this part of Greenland, observers see a huge amount of
icebergs, some almost the size of aircraft carriers and several stories
tall, others shaped in a distinctive blue coloring because the air has
been pressed out of the ice in its glacial journey.
Some experts believe that
the glaciers in Greenland are calving at a higher rate as temperatures
rise, but the ice observers say their observations are not long term
enough to speak of a general trend.
Greenland: Secrets in the Ice -- Part 1
Greenland: Secrets in the Ice -- Part 2
Greenland: Secrets in the Ice -- Part 3
Greenland: Secrets in the Ice -- Part 4
Greenland: Secrets in the Ice -- Part 5
Greenland: Secrets in the Ice -- Part 6
"In the past two years
there have been more icebergs here," Robertson says, "but then again in
the years before there were a lot fewer so it really varies from year to
years."
However, other observers
point to the fact that Greenland's glaciers have been receding for
years, pointing to increased ice melt in the polar region. But even on
fairly clear days it takes an experienced captain to navigate a ship
through the waters around Greenland.
Robertson is also an
officer on the Royal Arctic Line, Greenland's own shipping company and
says it takes years to understand the challenges involved sailing in
Greenland.
"When you encounter
masses of icebergs you can either try and go through it or you can go
around it," Robertson said. "In most cases the captain will usually try
and go around it if he can because no matter how slow you go and how
careful you are there will always be damage to the ship and then the
weather can get much worse very quickly and you don't want to be in a
field of icebergs if it does."
Her experience as a
ship's navigator make her so valuable as an ice observer for the DMI,
but the everyone in the crew needs to be at the top of their game.
Karsten Andsbjerg pilots
the helicopter through the fjords and hills in this extremely rugged
terrain. A difficult task as he often deals with severe weather while
having to make the ride smooth enough for the observers to do their job.
"Yeah, there are some
pretty heavy and gusty winds here," Andsbjerg said shortly after landing
at a Danish weather outpost right at the southern tip of Greenland.
"The other thing is that
the weather changes so quickly here, you always have to call ahead to
all the airfields and weather stations and keep yourself updated.
Otherwise you can be in severe weather in no time."
The observers fly
missions three times a week if the weather permits. Afterward they file
reports on the location of dangerous ice clusters with photos that show
vessels what they are in four if they try to get through. The Ice
Patrol's reports are vital and may have already saved lives.
The unit was founded
after a ship sank off the coast of Greenland in 1959, killing all crew
and passengers on board. The MS Hans Hedtoft disaster is known as the
"Greenlandic Titanic" in this part of the world.
"When you encounter masses of icebergs you can either try and go through it or you can go around it
Jane Robertson
Jane Robertson
Eydun Simonsen, the
chief ice observer during CNN's stay with the unit said: "Just like the
Titanic, it was her maiden voyage. To this day we don't know exactly
what happened, but we do know that she hit an ice berg and sank with all
souls on board. She did manage to send an SOS and later some rescue
equipment was recovered."
There hasn't been a
major incident in the waters off Greenland since the ice patrol was
founded. Better satellite images and more advanced ships will also have
played a role in this improved track record, but there is no doubt that
captains navigating the cold and often treacherous water of the Arctic
value the detailed and up to date information the observers provide.
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CNN presents a scrollable interactive explaining "The Internet of Things."
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