POLAR SCIENCE: Antarctica and The Arctic

To track changes in sea ice, the Norwegian research vessel Lance drifted along with it for five months in 2015, on a rare voyage from Arctic winter into spring. In late February the sky hints at the coming of the sun.

To track changes in sea ice, the Norwegian research vessel Lance drifted along with it for five months in 2015, on a rare voyage from Arctic winter into spring. In late February the sky hints at the coming of the sun.

“Temperatures regularly plunged to 30 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. Scientists had to contend with numb fingers, snapped cables, and crippled electronic instruments, along with the danger of roving polar bears. ‘This is really extreme science, one researcher said.” — “Into Thin Ice,” National Geographic

As global warming alters the poles, intrepid scientists document the change.