Ice | Cold United

Big Photo: Cracks in Sea Ice in the Arctic Reveal Methane

On 05.23.12, In Climate, Natures, Photos, Science, By Bolot

*Click the image to see in a big size

This photo was taken by Eric Kort, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in the Arctic Ocean north of Alaska, USA, on May 21st, 2012.

“These cracks in sea ice reveal a surprising and potentially important source of methane: the Arctic Ocean,” states Sarah Simpson.

Methane’s ability to exacerbate global warming means that realistic climate projections depend on understanding all of its sources. Arctic ecologists have known for years that huge reservoirs of methane are frozen in permafrost soils, and strong evidence has revealed the gas escaping into the atmosphere from thawing permafrost and bubbling Arctic lakes. A recent study documented hundreds of thousands of methane seeps under glaciers in Alaska and Greenland.

Learn more about this nature phenomenon on Discovery News.

Tagged with: Alaska • Arctic • ice • North • photo • Science • USA

Russian teens made it to the North Pole. They were skiing and pulling sledges. Young Arctic explorers!

On 04.26.12, In Adventures, expedition, Exploration, News, TV, Videos, By Bolot

They made it! For the fifth time!

Yesterday, April 25, 2012, the Russian teen team led by Arctic adventurers Dmitry and Matvey Shparo (Adventure Club) reached the North Pole by skiing from the Barneo drifting ice base.

I am happy about this event, as one of the North Pole skiing expedition participant is from Yakutia, precisely from the Bulunsky region located in the Polar Circle in North Yakutia, Siberia, Russia.

(more…)

Tagged with: Arctic • expedition • ice • North • North Pole • Russia • Shparo • Skiing

Sailing Safari: Adventure Race 80 Degrees Regatta in the Russian Arctic

On 02.10.12, In Adventures, Events, expedition, Exploration, Photos, Travel, By Bolot

Captain of the Yacht Peter I

Sailing Neva river

Are you still thinking that the streets of Russian cities are full of dancing bears with balalaikas, and the men drink vodka, sitting under the Christmas trees? Well you are almost right.

To see the proof with your own eyes make sure to visit the most northerly in the world regatta “Adventure Race 80 degrees”. A real Russian safari is waiting for you: polar bears and rough sailors, ancient villages and churches of the Russian North, ice and land, that have almost never been touched by human hands. But most importantly – the extreme race in the highest latitudes.

You’ve probably heard about the record-breaking voyage of the Russian yacht “Peter I”. (more…)

Tagged with: Arctic • ecology • Environment • Franz Josef Land • ice • photo • photographs • Russia • summer • yacht

Cold Portraits from Flickr’s Cold United photo group. Enjoy and join us!

On 11.14.11, In Flickr, People, Photos, By Bolot

Cross-country skiing in cold conditions: -20 to -25 °C (about -4 to -13 °F). By Vegarste, Flickr.

Proud to announce that our Cold United group on Flickr is becoming popular! We’ve got 684 members and 8,899 cold winter photographs. Cool! Feel free to join us.

Meanwhile, enjoy Cold United members’ pretty chilly portraits. All pics are clickable.

(more…)

Tagged with: cold • cold weather • Flickr • ice • photo • snow • winter

Adventure Race 80dg Yacht Regatta in Franz Josef Land Archipelago, Russian Arctic [photos]

On 08.19.11, In Adventures, Photos, Travel, By Bolot

Adventure Race 80dg Yacht Regatta in Russian Arctic

I’ve heard about the Adventure Race 80dg Ecological Sailing Regatta before, but I didn’t expect that the Finish yacht “Lena”, one of regatta participants, will continue traversing along the Russian Arctic heading to… guess where… right… to the Lena Delta and Tiksi. In other words, Finish sailers will reach my area called the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Moreover, they plan to go upstream and make it to Yakutsk, where I live! Cool!

Meanwhile, enjoy photographs of Franz Josef Land Archipelago, Russian Arctic, brought by RusArc’s Petr I yacht crew.

(more…)

Tagged with: Arctic • ecology • Environment • Franz Josef Land • ice • photo • Russia • summer • summer photographs • yacht

Franz Josef Land Archipelago, Russian Arctic, in July 2011. 58 photos by Vladimir Sevostianov.

On 08.09.11, In Animals, Environment, Fauna, Flora, Natures, Photos, Places, By Bolot

Franz Josef Land, Russian Arctic, in July 2011. Photo by Vladimir Sevostianov.

Social Media is awesome! It provides an unique opportunity to keep in touch with unique people.

In in the end of July 2011, Vladimir Sevostianov, a fb friend of mine, visited
Franz Josef Land and brought amazing photographs of the Russian Arctic in summer.

Take a look at his photographs and learn that the Arctic is not just ice, snow, fog, dark stones and cliffs, and polar bears, but it is also full of real life. Animals, colourful flowers and even mushrooms.

Vladimir Sevostianov is President of Commander Islands and BC Nature Protection and Conservation Association in Russia. A big fan of writing. Check out his page http://proza.ru/avtor/orca7.

(more…)

Tagged with: archipelago • Arctic • Fauna • Flora • fog • Franz Josef Land • ice • photo • Russia • snow • Vladimir Sevostianov

It’s #IcePhoto Wednesday with Polar Explorer Eric Larsen

On 08.03.11, In ArcticTweets, Climate, Environment, Events, Natures, Photos, By Bolot

Its Ice Photo Wednesday on Facebook and #IcePhoto on Twitter. Today is the day to share your love of ice, cold and snow with the rest of the world. Mine? A tidewater glacier on Svalbard during last week's Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Expeditions adventure in the Arctic. Yours?

A tidewater glacier on Svalbard during last week s Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Expeditions adventure in the Arctic.

Today is Ice Photo Wednesday run by Polar Explorer Eric Larsen (www.ericlarsenexplore.com) on Facebook (see his page) and #IcePhoto on Twitter.

Ice Photo Wednesday is the day, when anyone are welcome to share their love of ice, cold and snow with the rest of the world. How does it work?

Every morning on Wednesday, Eric Larsen – it was him, who invented the event – announces the start of The Ice Photo Day. He publishes his own fascinating “ice” photographs and ask his readers and followers to do the same… And you know what? People do share pictures of gorgeous ice and magnificant snow.

When Eric see new pics, he resharing them on his Facebook and Twitter accounts and give their authors big publicity and promotion. If the famous American explorer is online… hey, he can be connected even from the Arctic or the Everest top, you might see his fantastic photographs.

Give a try and join Eric on his facebook page and Twitter using the hashtag #IcePhoto.

Meanwhile, enjoy Mr. Larsen’s ice photographs of the Arctic Ocean, Norway’s Svalbard, and Everest!

Saying a lot of sincere thanks to him for permission to show his pics on ColdUnited.com. It’s a big honor! Here and further all captions to ice photographs are given by Eric Larsen himself.

(more…)

Tagged with: Arctic Ocean • cold • cold weather • Eric Larsen • Everest • ice • IcePhoto • Norway • photo • Svalbard

Happy Arctic summer life among icebergs in Uummannaq, Greenland. 10 pictures taken by Hivshu Ua in July 2011

On 07.14.11, In Climate, Environment, Lives, Natures, Photos, By Bolot

Can you imagine? When the rest of the world is suffering the heat and the temperature much above +40C and even +50C, people of Greenland’s Uummannaq settlement are enjoying “the sight and light and smell of the salty seawater and fresh glacier air” daily.

That’s the way Hivshu Ua described the Uummannaq life among Arctic icebergs in July 2011.

Uummannaq dwellers are very lucky to have such honor… Unfortunately, it might not last forever. In 30 years, scientists predict the ice-free(!) Arctic…

Who is Hivshu Ua?

He is one of great men participated in the Uummannaq Music project. Be sure to visit UM’s website, facebook page and Flickr sets to learn more and see Greenland in its currently-existing glory.

Hope, you will like this and below-published photographs and say thanks with me to Hivshu Ua, their author, for letting us to see such an Arctic summer beauty online.

(more…)

Tagged with: Arctic • Climate • Climate change • cold weather • Environment • global warming • Greenland • ice • iceberg • inuit • North • summer • summer photographs • Uummannaq • Uummannaq Music

Through the Arctic Ice & North Pole from Russia to Canada. 2011 Marine Live-Ice Auto Expedition, 1st Stage.

On 05.06.11, In Autos/Bikes, expedition, News, Photos, By Bolot

Marine Live-Ice Automobile Expedition 2011. From Taimyr, Russia, to Resolut Bay, Canada.

The 2011 Marine Live-Ice Auto Expedition (MLAE 2011) has completed the first stage of the long Arctic journey by two amphibian vehicles, “Yemelya 3″ and “Yemelya 4,” from Russia’s Taimyr to Canada’s Resolute Bay through the North Pole.

In March-April, 2011, the team led by Vasiliy Elagin made it from Urengoy to the meteo station located on Golomyannyy Island west off Oktyabrskoy Revolutsii. More than 2800 km. Mostly through hard-passing ices of the Kara Sea.

(more…)