Arctic Memories of the year 2000
2000 overflowed with intense memories and this little album recalls a few (click on images to see larger versions; Netscape may have some problems, but Explorer should work fine). They were taken during MIT/DARPA technical expeditions in Iceland and far northern Norway (February/March). These expeditions tested sensor-networked skis in arctic conditions, but also took the science team through remarkable scenery, weather and culture. A field report with some photos from the Norwegian leg is here.
Iceland: it's the size of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont combined, population about 275,000 (mostly in Reykjavik). Much of it is rugged wilderness. We went because there was no snow in New England, and because IcelandAir had a fare of $199. Our tests were conducted in a blizzard around Mt. Hekla, just prior to a massive eruption that we barely missed. Surprisingly to some, Iceland isn't that cold. Reykjavik's weather is like Manhattan. It does lie just beneath the arctic circle, but Iceland catches the gulf stream and the whole country is volcanic and geothermally heated.
Norway in late March brought us to the Birkebeiner ski marathon in Lillehammer (58km), followed by hut skiing in Finnmark (map). Karasjok is the capital of the Sami nation (Lapland), so reindeer herding families are often out and about. Our fieldwork took place around Karasjok, 1900 miles north of Boston and about 1400 miles south of the pole: it's one of the northernmost towns in the world.
