Worsening ice conditions force survey ship HMS Protector to cut short research
HMS Protector punches through Antarctic ice The Navy's Antarctic patrol ship had to punch her way through ice to first deliver, then pick up a team of scientists as the pack ice threatened to trap them - and the ship.The Portsmouth-based survey ship was charged with putting a small team from the British Antarctic Survey ashore so they could collect geological samples on remote James Ross Island off the eastern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.She did so courtesy of her small work boat, Terra Nova, which carefully negotiated the ice field to land the scientists and their equipment, including sufficient food and fuel to last up to 30 days in one of the world's most inhospitable locations.While the scientists got to work, the weather and ice forecasts aboard the survey ship began to look increasingly unfavourable.After four days on James Ross Island, the decision was made to pull the scientists out much earlier than anticipated - a change of wind direction meant there was a chance ice from the Weddell Sea would be driven towards James Ross Island - potentially blocking HMS Protector in, like a cork in a bottle.Protector's Commanding Officer Capt Peter Sparkes decided the safest and least ...
Read more