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Monday, July 4, 2022

Weekly Post, GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND: A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic by Robert Glenn Ketchum


 
In 2006, I was invited to participate in a Zegrahm expedition sponsored by the Harvard Museum of Natural History, The Nature Conservancy, and the World Wildlife Fund. I was to lecture aboard the ship, and to participate onshore, when visiting Inuit communities to discuss the effects of climate change on their lives. The trip would travel along the coast of southeastern Greenland, crossing the Labrador Sea, to the northwest coast of Labrador, and the southwest coast of Baffin Island.
~Robert Glenn Ketchum




Monday, July 4, 2022 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #91
GLB #91:  
We arrived in the harbor of Iqualuit precisely at the highest tide, so our large party, and all of our gear, were loaded into numerous Zodiacs and taken ashore, allowing our clipper to retreat to deeper water before the tide turned. It was still morning, and our flight home did not leave for several hours, so a bus was arranged to take our luggage to the airport, and we were free to wander about the town. Hysterically, we had street maps to help us find points of interest, but they were useless. Not only were the street names unintelligible, such as Kangiqsliniq, or Niaqunngusiariaq, but all the signage was written in Inuktitut), the Inuit alphabet, which as you can see here is quite bewildering. A humorous several hours was had by all.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
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___________________________________________________Monday, June 27, 2022 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #90
GLB #90:  
Just outside of where the Iqaluit harbor mouth is supposed to be, the REALLY dense fog begins to lift, and once again shapes of landforms become more discernible. The trick now is to navigate into the harbor as far as the rising tide will allow us, so that we can all disembark for shore in the Zodiacs. Assuming this is accomplished, we will have several hours to explore this Capitol city before our buses round us up and take us to the airport for our trip back to the United States.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Monday, June 20, 2022 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #89
GLB #89:  
As our morning run into Iqaluit unfolds, the surrounding fog only grows more dense. Regardless of our navigation radar, I am on the deck watching this, and I find it spooky. There are many times that I can see nothing, and then suddenly, something appears - an island, an iceberg - QUITE close by. I assume our captain is comfortable with all of this or he would shut down, and I love the weird mystery of these images, but frankly, I also find it scary to be navigating in these conditions.

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___________________________________________________

Monday, June 13, 2022 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #88
GLB #88:  
Riding a rising tide into the capitol city of Iqualuit, we have encountered a foggy morning, but as we have a radar navigation system, it does not pose a threat, although we do slow down. I am on deck enjoying the spectacle of the islands and icebergs drifting in and out of view, and I know that our trip is about to end, so I am trying to take in this last visual spectacle of our two-week journey. We have seen some amazing fjords, colorful Inuit villages, strange island landscapes, and big icebergs, but this morning may be the most mystical of them all.

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___________________________________________________

Monday, June 6, 2022 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #87
GLB #87:  
In the morning, after breakfast, I emerge onto the outside deck to find that there is a good bit of fog in the bay. It won’t restrict our navigation, because we have radar, but as we slowly motor toward Iqualuit, Icebergs and islands fade in and out of my vision. It makes for great viewing, but I am glad not to be piloting this vessel at the moment, regardless of the radar.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
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Monday, May 30, 2022 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #86
GLB #86:  
We plan to round Chase Island and drop anchor in the protection of it for the night. The head of the bay directly in front of Iqualuit is VERY shallow, and actually goes dry at low tide, so we plan to navigate the rising tide in the morning, and get as far into the bay as we can before disembarking for shore, and eventually our flight home. While at anchor, this iceberg drifts by, which looks like it has had an interesting history.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
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___________________________________________________

Monday, May 23, 2022 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #85
GLB #85:  
As we navigate up the lengthy Iqualuit Bay, we pass by Chase Island and its rugged, rocky shoreline. Near the far end of the island, we also come upon two polar bears munching on the remains of a seal. Because we are relatively close to the city of Iqualuit, and the villagers shoot bears that venture into town, unlike the other polar bears that we have seen on this trip that show no fear of our presence, these bears do not like our close pass, and so they clamber off into the rocks, and disappear from sight. I am sure once we are gone, they will return to the kill, because everybody knows there is nothing like a tasty seal for breakfast.

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___________________________________________________

Monday, May 16, 2022 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #84
GLB #84:  
Lower Savage Island is much smaller than Resolution Island, and also not so vertical. The rain squalls have broken off, and a fog is forming around the upper part of the island. A brisk wind is freezing cold, and making the surface of the bay quite choppy, but I think all of that will calm down when we enter the more sheltered Iqaluit Bay. The bay is quite long, so we will navigate half of it today, then drop a protected anchor behind some small islands for dinner, and to overnight. Tomorrow we will proceed the rest of the way to the town of Iqaluit. We are also doing this to accommodate the tide. The head of the bay in front of Iqaluit is quite shallow, and goes dry at low tide. The next high tide will be around 11a.m. tomorrow, and we hope to ride in with it, getting as close to the village as we can before disembarking.

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___________________________________________________

Monday, May 9, 2022 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #83
GLB #83:  
After crossing the Hudson Strait, we approach the rocky bluffs of Resolution Island. This is a big island, with a rugged, and sometimes steep, shoreline. We see some polar bears, and pass through several rain squalls during our traverse. As we near the far end of the island, lunchtime is upon us, so we sit down to eat as we leave Resolution, and head for Lower Savage Island, and the mouth of Iqaluit Bay.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
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___________________________________________________

Monday, May 2, 2022 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #82
GLB #82:  
The late light of the afternoon set the landscape aglow (last post), and now it is near midnight and the setting sun has the sky ablaze above the Labrador Sea. Those drinking in the lounge are missing out on this dazzling show.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
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___________________________________________________

Monday, April 25, 2022 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #81
GLB #81:  
As on many nights since we have been in the Labrador Sea, the sky has mostly cleared, and the late light sets the landscape aglow. We are in calm waters, and not exposed to the open ocean, so we drop anchor for dinner, and plan on spending the night here as well. Early in the morning, we will begin a journey across the Hudson Straight, headed for Resolution Island, and then into Frobisher Bay, which will take us to Iqaluit, the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, where our journey will end, and from whence we will fly back to the U.S.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
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_____________________________________________________

Monday, April 18, 2022 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #80
GLB #80:  
When I say they towered above us (lat post), I thought a little human scale would make that clear. This is a Zodiac with eight people, one of whom is standing, and they are dwarfed by the face of the iceberg. They are also staying at a respectful distance in case something might calve off. If they were closer, they would seem even smaller. The day was getting late after this exploration, and the increasing chill in the air was finally getting to all of us, because mostly we were just sitting around, so with this last view, our rafts headed back to the Clipper Adventurer, for some snacks, and alcohol, in the warmth of the lounge.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
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_____________________________________________________

Monday, April 11, 2022 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #79
GLB #79:  
In the early afternoon of our cruising around, the overcast sky cleared and the sun came out. In the channel between two islands, some very large icebergs had drifted in, so of course, everyone wanted to explore them. They were shimmering and radiant in the bright sunlight, and they must have been truly huge, as they towered about 100ft. or so above us, and to stand that tall above the waterline, there had to be a huge mass of ice beneath serving as their counterbalance.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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_____________________________________________________
Monday, April 11, 2022 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #79
GLB #79:  
In the early afternoon of our cruising around, the overcast sky cleared and the sun came out. In the channel between two islands, some very large icebergs had drifted in, so of course, everyone wanted to explore them. They were shimmering and radiant in the bright sunlight, and they must have been truly huge, as they towered about 100ft. or so above us, and to stand that tall above the waterline, there had to be a huge mass of ice beneath serving as their counterbalance.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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_____________________________________________________

Monday, April 4, 2022 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #78
GLB #78:  
While my group was doing some island hiking earlier in the day, two Zodiacs full of guests came upon a polar bear at the shoreline, eating a seal. I am glad I was not on the one boat whose guide motored them to within 20ft. of the spectacle. This VERY dangerous lark provided some amazing pics, and thrilled the guests, but it could have also gone very badly, and the bear could have easily given up the seal for the moment, to munch on a raft full of humans. Later in the day, I was aboard a Zodiac circling a particularly rocky island, and this guy showed up to watch us float by. For me, this seems to be about the right distance between us.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
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_____________________________________________________

Monday, March 28, 2022 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #77
GLB #77:  
Some of the Button Islands are rock monoliths that are a mountain of sheer walls on all sides. I am not sure how these were formed, as they appear to just have risen from the ocean. Perhaps all of this was previously under an icecap, and these domes were created by encircling glaciation. This geology we are cruising through is most curious.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
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_____________________________________________________

Monday, March 21, 2022 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #76
GLB #76:  
As we cruised around the numerous Button Islands, we occasionally came across small settlements or homesteads.To us, this one was particularly curious. There are no roads into it, and no boats to be seen anywhere. Clearly the inhabitants were living subsistence lifestyles, but it is hard to imagine how, if they are not fishing. Neither is there a boat dock, so supply deliveries that come in from the water become a complicated process to unload at the shoreline. I am sure these people must hunt, likely caribou, and smaller tundra mammals, but I can’t imagine what they do in the winter. What a world!

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
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_____________________________________________________

Monday, March 14, 2022 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #75
GLB #75:  
Speaking of another planet (last post), on our morning tour around several of the Button Islands, I found this. The island was small enough, and low enough that I could pretty much walk everywhere, and I did, BUT only in this one place were there any rocks that looked like these. It begs the question, where did they come from, and how did they get here? They stand like some strange sentinels overlooking the shallow bay. Is this a human assemblage, or did they just fall out of the sky?

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
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_____________________________________________________

Monday, March 7, 2022 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #74
GLB #74:  
Did I say “a lot of boats?” Seriously! I am not sure what these residents do to make them SO prosperous, but it must be valuable because it appears that EVERYONE has a boat, a tidy house, many have cars, and there are also a large number of ATV’s as well. The fishing must be good because there is zero agriculture, and very little manufacturing. I have been in a lot of Native communities in Alaska and across the Canadian Arctic, but none of them looked like this.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
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_____________________________________________________

Monday, February 28, 2022 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #73
GLB #73:  
The morning is still young, and we have had a long boat ride to get to the Button Islands, so the crew from the Adventurer take turns picking us up, and dropping us off at yet another location we can explore. Interestingly, each island has its own unique character, and widely varying geology. On the one pictured above, it was too mountainous to attempt a summit, but the shore was all rock terraces that showed signs of significant glaciation. Furthermore different strata of these rocks seemed to have been morphed into one another, although clearly very different from each other in color and texture.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
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_____________________________________________________

Monday, February 21, 2022 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #72
GLB #72:  
Having summited our island to have a look at the view, my cabin mate, Jim McCarthy, and I, descend to the shoreline for a walk along the rocky beach. Although we have been told these islands have many polar bears, we do not encounter any, but we do see evidence of numerous caribou kills, so we know they are clearly lurking somewhere. That somewhere will be discovered after lunch, when we do some cruising around in the Zodiacs.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
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_____________________________________________________
Monday, February 14, 2022 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #71
GLB #71:  
Our first morning in the Button Island is cold and stormy, but it is not raining, so when we go ashore, my cabin mate, Jim McCarthy, and I, climb to the summit of our island to take in the view. We are greeted by a light show of weather, and surrounded by dozens of other islands, many of which are fairly mountainous. We have been told there are a lot of polar bears here, so we are armed and cautious, but we have no encounters. Those will come this afternoon.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
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_____________________________________________________

Monday, February 7, 2022

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #70
GLB #70:  
The Button Islands are a long way up the coastline of Newfoundland and Labrador. They are also quite a diverse cluster of islands. Our expedition arrived amongst them at about 6a.m., after several days of navigating north, and the only breaks on the journey were Zodiac rides to scout huge icebergs, so none of us has had much exercise in the past few days. To remedy that, we have an early breakfast, and then we are taken ashore for the rest of the morning. As usual, my cabin mate, Jim McCarthy, and I, scramble to the top of our island to have a look around. Not only can we see quite a number of the surrounding islands, but we can see some of those huge icebergs in the open waters of the Labrador Sea, as well, although they are many, many miles away.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
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_____________________________________________________

Monday, January 31, 2022

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #69
GLB #69:  
Each of our rafts takes turns visiting the various icebergs in this group, and we spend several hours doing this. No one is cold, as it is warm being in the direct sun, and there are snacks and beer to be had by all. It is still a very long haul to the Button Islands, however, so around 2pm, we disengage from our exploratory of the floating ice, and head back to the mother ship. The afternoon angle of the sun made this final shot a perfect end to the day’s exploration.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
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_____________________________________________________

Monday, January 24, 2022

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #68
GLB #68:  
As our raft group inspects this very tall, finned iceberg, we circle it, and I am amazed to discover that the top of the fin is so thin, that it appears transparent when backlit by the sun. I realize now that this berg will likely not roll, because it may be tall, but there is not much ice weight up there. The heavy, thick ice extends quite deeply beneath the water line, so much so that, as clear as the water is, we cannot see the bottom of the berg. This is a monstrous piece of ice!

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
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_____________________________________________________

Monday, January 17, 2022

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #67
GLB #67:  
Still wending our way towards the Button Islands, big icebergs calved from Greenland show up continuously. As we have been on board for many hours now, about 10am we encounter a group of them, and so the crew decides to put the rafts in the water and take the guests out for a closer inspection. We all need a little variation in the multi-day journey, so everyone joins in, and each boat visits different bergs. My crew approaches an amazingly tall, finned berg that shows evidence of having previously rolled, so I am a little hesitant about getting too close, but the vertical thrust of the sheer fin is irresistible.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
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_____________________________________________________

Monday, January 10, 2022

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #66
GLB #66:  
This berg with the dramatic fin offers a lot of views to explore, so our Zodiac slowly circles the entire waterline. When you do this, you want to have a competent guide driving the boat, who has the good sense not to get too close. You can never tell when this island of ice might decide to rollover, or calve, and even if it did not touch our Zodiac, the waves it could generate might easily capsize us.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
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Monday, January 3, 2022

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #65
GLB #65:  
As we continue to navigate north toward the Button islands, we are encountering a lot of big icebergs that are being calved from glaciers in Greenland, and are drifting across the Labrador Sea. After a spectacular evening of glowing ice, the new day dawns bright and relatively clear. There are still a LOT of big icebergs around, so to give the guests a bit of activity, our guides offload the Zodiacs, and we all go out to explore the big bergs more closely. Many of them have been melting down for months, and some have even rolled, so they have taken on fantastic shapes and textures. This one sports a razor-thin fin at its highest point, and evidence of other waterlines are visible, this one tilting to the left. Some of these bergs are so large, they are like small islands, and in a few weeks, I will post a shot that includes a Zodiac group for scale. You will be amazed.

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Monday, December 27, 2021

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #64
GLB #64:  
Most of the guests have finally retired to the warmth and liquor in the salon, but I linger to the last light of the evening. As I said in the previous post, the big white icebergs take on various hues because they reflect the sky shades and the setting sun. Now the sun has gone down completely, but the horizon still has some glow left in it, and sure enough, as we navigate past these two big bergs, they are lit on their western facing sides by the faint glow at the horizon. It is well past midnight, but the sun is up most of the night and day in the summer Arctic, leaving only a few hours of true darkness. When I made this shot, I wondered if it would even record, but it has actually turned out rather amazing. Thank you, Fuji Velvia!

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Monday, December 20, 2021

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #63
GLB #63:  
As we steer from one giant iceberg to another, the glow in the sky fades, and the cold blue of night begins to assert itself. I does not dissuade the guests, however, because passing these gigantic forms is a spectacle of shades and tones, shimmering from what glow of light there is left. This is one of my particular favorites (above) because it has taken on such a purple hue, mixing the fading red at the horizon, with the descending blue from above. The surface of the white ice has become a mirror of the surrounding colors. VERY trippy!

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Monday, December 13, 2021

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #62
GLB #62:  
Our captain thinks the guests will also appreciate the spectacle, so he navigates to pass close by to several of them, and announces to the guests, that he is doing so, which brings many of them out on deck to join me. Besides the familiar clinking of ice in the drinks they brought forth from the salon, we pass by the bergs close enough to hear their creaking, groaning, and the quiet splashes as they drip into the ocean. It proves to be quite a show that goes on for about an hour.

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Monday, December 6, 2021

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #61
GLB #61:  
Our ship is on an intersecting line with the big icebergs drifting through the last few posts. While distant in those images, we are drawing ever closer to them, so I retire to the salon to warm up a bit, have a drink or two, and then I plan to come back out on deck as we approach them. When I emerge, the sun is down, but there is still light, a glow of color, and the bergs are quite close at this point. They are nothing but silhouettes against the evening sky, but they are still interesting to work with, and their scale grows more pronounced with every minute that passes.

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Monday, November 29, 2021

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #60
GLB #60:  
The cloud layers in this sunset get increasingly more dense as the night wears on, but it does not diminish the remarkable show. There is A LOT of oohing and awing going on, and a good bit of alcoholic mooing, as well. A breeze has sprung up that is quite chill, so one by one, people return to the warmth of the salon, but as usual, I layer-up, and stay, watching the amazing sky to the bitter end. A good night is had by all, and when we awake in the morning, we will have anchored off of the Button Islands, which we intend to explore by Zodiac after breakfast.

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Monday, November 22, 2021

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #59
GLB #59:  
Out in the open waters of the Labrador Sea, and headed north to the Button Islands, the late evening sunset was glowing up the sky in a BIG way. There were layers of clouds in every shade imaginable, and there was a light band of sea fog that sunlight struck directly, turning it in to a ribbon of golden haze. Usually at this hour, I am the only one out on deck, and the rest are having after-dinner drinks in the main salon/saloon, but not tonight. THIS skyshow has brought most of them out - of course, they have their cocktails with them.

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Monday, November 15, 2021

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #58
GLB #58:  
After an hour or so, searching for Ramah chert on Shuldham Island, we climbed back into the Zodiacs and returned to the Clipped Adventurer. The north arm of Saglek Fjord extends many miles beyond Shuldham Island, and we will spend the rest of the day cruising into it, as it is quite a dramatic setting. As we cruise, an outdoor barbecue is set up on the back deck (as well as a bar), and a merry time is had by all. For awhile, a curious eagle flies above us, and at one point, we encounter a group of caribou browsing the grasses along the shoreline, and some are even wading in the water. When we reach the end of Saglek, we turn and retreat to the open waters of the Labrador Sea. It was late when we reached the sea, and the sun was setting, generating an incredible skyshow, replete with large icebergs floating across the horizon.

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Monday, November 8, 2021

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #57
GLB #57:  
The frigid Arctic winds that rake across the very exposed surface of Big Island don't prevent vegetation, they just stunt it. Nothing wants to stand up in the relentless airflow, so everything hugs the ground in a thick mat of entwined plants and roots. The plant life is so hardy, it does not even show any effect from being walked upon. After a 2hr. exploratory, we all return to the Zodiacs to be ferried over to nearby Shuldham Island. Shuldham has a unique geology that attracted historic cultures through hundreds of years, including Thule, Dorset, and more recently, Inuit. The geological feature is called Ramah chert. Ramah chert is a relatively rare stone that chips beautifully, so it can be shaped in many ways. Some has been made into artifacts, often found in gravesites, but the real value to the early hunter-gatherer cultures was the fact it made hard, and sharp-edged knives, and arrowheads. These hunting tools were so valued, they became a lucrative trading item, and while the mineral is only to be found in the far north of Labrador, spear points, knives, and arrowheads, made from it have been discovered in Maine, around Lake Champlain in Vermont, and as far south as Delaware, and Maryland. Clearly, a VERY covetable item for trade.

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Monday, November 1, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #56
GLB #56:  
Naturally, my cabin mate, and hiking partner, Jim McCarthy, and I, seek out the highest summit on Big Island to scramble up for a look around. At this location the fjord mouth is quite broad, but bordered by some considerable mountains, a few of which are snow-capped. There is a brisk breeze blowing, but we are layered up, and the view is so encompassing, we decide to sit down and enjoy it while having some snacks. Regardless of our layers, if we do not stay in motion, the relentless Arctic airflow drains away our body heat, so after a 1/2hr., or so, we concede to the weather, and decide to hike some more. As you can see in this picture, there is plenty of exposed rock, but remarkably, considering the weather and the cold, there is also a lot of green vegetation.

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Monday, October 25, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #55
GLB #55:  
We cruised north through the night, and during breakfast the next morning we approached the mouth of Saglek Fjord. The mouth of the fjord hosts many islands, the largest of which, not surprisingly, is called Big Island. Big Island is immediately adjacent Shuldham Island where we are going ashore to view a significant historic spot for ancient cultures However, the rest of the day is to be spent cruising in the fjord, so the crew and guides intend that we get our exercise now, and take us ashore on Big Island to walk around, and climb the rounded domes for some spectacular 360˙ views. Above is an amazing perspective of the straight between Big Island and Shuldham, which is a veritable minefield of erratics lodged in the shallow waters. This is clearly not a place to be boating in the dark.

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Monday, October 18, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #54
GLB #54:  
As I watched the night draw slowly down, some large, but distant, icebergs drifted across the horizon, as the sky grew darker, but no less colorful. With the sun now well below the horizon, the lower elevation clouds lost their illumination, and became morphous gray shapes, drifting beneath a very high cloud cover, that was luminously aglow. I was not even sure if my film could record such minimal light, but apparently (above), things worked out. Thank you Velvia! About midnight, it was fade to black, so I returned my cabin, and zoned out. We had been told tomorrow would start with an early breakfast, and then we were to go ashore and explore Shuldham Island, a location with a very unique history.

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Monday, October 11, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #53
GLB #53:  
It was now time for we “long-walkers” to return for the last shore-to-ship Zodiac, and we arrive late in the afternoon. By the time we board the Clipper Adventurer, and retire to our room to drop our gear and wash up, dinner is being served. After our meal, most retired to the salon to drink and socialize, but I went back to my cabin for a short cat-nap. While I dozed, Adventurer pulled up anchor, and began to motor slowly further North, heading for Saglek Fjord. I awoke about 10p.m., grabbed my cameras, and decided to refresh myself with a walk-about on the outside decks. There was a light breeze, but it was not particularly cold, and as I lingered, a long, slow, smoldering sunset began, so I decided to stay outside and watch it unfold.

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Monday, October 4, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #52
GLB #52:  
My friend, and cabin-mate aboard the Clipper Adventurer, Jim McCarthy, and I, scramble down off the rock dome we summited, and begin to traverse the shoreline of the nearby bay. The shallow waters of the bay are filled with numerous boulders, glacial erratics dropped from ice as it retreated. There is a trail there that had clearly been walked upon frequently, as it was well worn, a so we followed along it. We supposed that it was a trail created by fishermen, but it eventually brought us to a small graveyard, with a intimate collection of headstones, revealing that this was a family plot. They bay was calm, and beautiful in the overcast light, and the surrounding meadows were blooming with a profusion of wildflowers, so he, and I, agreed that this was about as nice a setting in which to be laid to rest, as you might wish for. R.I.P.

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Monday, September 27, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #51
GLB #51:  
From the summit Jim McCarthy and I have ascended, the view in the opposite direction from the last post, reveals the end of the fjord with sculpted bays and numerous long, sinuous peninsulas jutting out into the surrounding ocean. I was also struck by the jumble of rock erratics collected in almost every visible bay shoreline, which were dropped there as the ice retreated. Those same rocks were the ones the glacial cap used to carve the striations (last two posts). It was an overcast day, but not cold, and it was easy to get around on the exposed dome that we had climbed, and although we had come far, we still had plenty of time left before the last Zodiac would depart for the Clipper Adventurer, so we decided to descend to one of the bays hosting a nice collection of erratics in the shallow water, down the hill, and to the right.

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Monday, September 20, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #50
GLB #50:  
Because we were not in a fjord with sheer walls, the more gently rolling nature of the rocks, and surrounding hills, offered us a chance to summit, and have a view, so we did. While there was weather around us all day, the cloud cover remained high, with no rain, and from the top our our scoured mound we were offered views for miles. This particular perspective is back down the fjord, which we had traveled up to get to Hebron. Even from our lofty perch, looking down on the rocks where we first walked, you could clearly see the massive striations, carved by the glacial rock dragging, and the flow which rounded off the rocks and hilltop we now stand upon, all of it under hundreds of feet of ice at some point.

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Monday, September 13, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #49
GLB #49:  
As we often did, my cabin mate, Jim McCarthy, and I, left our group to go long walking, as once again Jim said he wanted to show me something. Hebron is located at the end of a lengthy fjord, and much of the shoreline is rock. These are no steep fjord walls as you might expect, but they is very exposed rock. Walking across it, Jim pointed out the deep, and long, striations in the rock, and said it was evidence that this shoreline had been glacially scoured. The striations were where the heavy ice cap dragged boulders across the rock bottom. He also said that this was believed to be some of the oldest exposed rock in the world, living through numerous ice ages of being buried under ice, melted out, and buried again.

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Monday, September 6, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #48
GLB #48:  
The village of Hebron was originally a settlement of Moravian missionaries founded in 1830, but the inhabitants were relocated to Nain in 1959, and now there is little left of the community, except for the massive wooden church, and a small handful of outbuidings. Jim, and I, hang with the group to visit the church, but having done that, we become the first of the "long walkers” to take off, and, as usual, Jim has some “rocks” he wants me to see, which he believes are some of the most ancient outcrops on the planet. I am up for anything, so merrily on we go, shotgun and all.

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Monday, August 30, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #47
GLB #47:  
About 11p.m. more clouds have moved into the sky above us, and the angle of the sun is nearing the horizon, when these three show up. I love the way the hues of the late light radiate off the white ice face of the bergs. We are just ships passing in the night. Shortly after this moment, I turn in, as we were being served a breakfast at 6:30a.m., and then going ashore to spend the day exploring the landscape, and the abandoned village of Hebron. We were told that there would be enough time for the “long walkers” to clamber around, so I presume Jim and I will do a bit of wandering as usual.
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Monday, August 23, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #46
GLB #46:  
After our morning in Nain, we are back on board the Clipper Adventurer by lunch, after which we pull up anchor, and begin navigating north where we expect to arrive at Hebron Fjord by the next morning. The afternoon is uneventful with most of us socializing, and drinking, in the main lounge until dinner, but after dinner, the skyshow begins again, so I get my cameras, and renew my walk-around on the outside decks. There are nice clouds, and a glow of light, but the view becomes much more interesting when we encounter some large bergs about 10p.m.

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Monday, August 16, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #45
GLB #45:  
Doing a morning walk-about in Nain, after visiting the home and studio of the village carver, we are guided to an outdoor dance platform, where we get to sample local food, and are given a drum dancing performance by the Nunatsiavut Drum Dancers. We also hear a very unusual performance of throat singing, an Inuit practice originally forbidden by the missionaries, but now is experiencing a cultural revival under the agreement to allow self-rule. It was a nice sunny day, the performances were appreciated, and the food was “different,” so we all had a good time, and by noon we were in the Zodiacs, headed back to our boat. Ultimately, we will pull anchor, and begin navigating north to Hebron Fjord.

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Monday, August 9, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #44
GLB #44:  
We will only spend the morning in Nain, returning to our ship for lunch, but while in Nain, we will be guided on a walking tour, about which we are briefed when we come ashore. Our first stop is to the home and studio of a well known craftsman, and carver, whose latest project is in-the-works. As you can see, it is going to be a VERY large caribou, comprised mostly of cement. Once finished, I am not sure how it will be transported, as I am quite sure it is going to weigh quite a lot. But hey, art is heavy stuff!

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Monday, August 2, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #43
GLB #43:  
At 7a.m., we finally arrive and anchor in the small harbor of Nain. We do breakfast in the main lounge, and disembark for a walking tour of the village at 8a.m. Nain is the northernmost settlement in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and is home to around 1,125 mostly Inuit people. There are no roads in or out, so Nain can only be reached by air or water. Nain was first established by Moravian missionaries in 1771, and for more than 150yrs., they ministered Nain and other nearby communities, mostly badly. Poverty and alcoholism collapsed many of the outlying settlements, eventually forcing those communities to resettle elsewhere, and many came to Nain. Ultimately the Canadian government declared Nain the administrative capital of Nunatsiavut, and in an agreement, the residents were given limited self-rule, and recognized as having certain aboriginal rights to the land. That same agreement also established the Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve, farther to the north, and where we will cruise in the coming days.

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Monday, July 26, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #42
GLB #42:  
Turning again to my view east, the sky has grown ever-darker, but the clouds are still defined by the glow from the west. The stiff, cold breeze has churned up the Labrador Sea, creating a great deal of chop, and the big icebergs that stick up into the wind gusts have become sailboats driven by the wind, and they are now “racing” across the surface of the dark water, shimmering, ghost-like in the night. It is after 1a.m., so I think it is finally time to retire.

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Monday, July 19, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #41
GLB #41:  
As we wend our way through the icebergs and islands on our way to Nain the skyshow continues to unfold. It is now past midnight, and the warm afterglow of the sunset is beginning to fade, but we have come into some big icebergs which we navigate around, and they make the waters of the Labrador Sea as visually interesting as the sky above. Some of them are like small islands, and are larger than our ship, others are like small mountains, and they are taller than our ship. This world right now is more a dreamscape than a landscape to me.

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Monday, July 12, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #40
GLB #40:  
This is a split-screen kind of evening. Looking to the east offers an ever-darkening sky, choked by layers of clouds (last 3 posts). Looking to the west, there are also some clouds, but they are more broken, and the sky is visible, warmed by the afterglow of the sunset, which lingers well past midnight. The ice floating by also glows, illuminated by the brighter sky above. It is surreal, and beautiful, and I am one of the only ones watching the show.

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Monday, July 5, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #39
GLB #39:  
By 11:15pm the sky has continued to darken, the cloud cover continues to thicken, and there is a cold breeze now blowing chop across the Labrador Sea. I retire briefly to my cabin to layer-up, but I have NO intention of going to bed with this skyshow going on outside. I am still astounded that it is as late as it is, and it is still bright enough that I can continue to shoot. As the breeze continues to rise, I stand in a passageway to block the cold air from circulating around me, only stepping to the rail when another possible shot appears. It is late, windy, cold, and the Labrador Sea is getting riled up, but I could not be having more fun just standing around with my mouth open, stunned by Arctic spectacle through which we are navigating. Everybody else is snoring away inside. As the saying goes, “If you snooze, you loose."

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Monday, June 28, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #38
GLB #38:  
As the late evening skies darken over the Labrador Sea, the cloudshow intensifies. Layers and layers of texture fill the sky, and really provide a magnificent foil for the now-glowing icebergs that have drifted over from the calving glaciers of Greenland. It is a about 10:30pm, and a great night to be out on deck. I am shooting these pics with a hand-held Pentax 645, and Fuji Velvia 100, so it is quite amazing that it is still bright enough for me to work. Remember, the boat is moving so I have to keep a reasonable shutter speed to prevent motion blur.

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Monday, June 21, 2021
 
GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #37
GLB #37:  
As we work our way north through the Labrador Sea, headed for the community of Nain, we encounter a lot of icebergs being calved from the retreating glaciers of Greenland. Some, as you can see here, are quite large. We are in the Arctic latitudes, and this far north, at this time of the year, we have a bright twilight until around midnight. If you compare this post to the last, you can also see that there is a cloud cover coming over us that in the ensuing posts, puts on a very dramatic show in the late evening hours.

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Monday, June 14, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #36
GLB #36:  
Cruising north, through the Labrador Sea in the late twilight, presents us with ever increasing icebergs in the water around us, and many bigger ones as well. These are all being shed from the Greenland icecap, across the sea from us. Also, as we get farther north, the coastal foothills give way to sizable mountains, that will eventually become Torngat Mountains National Park, further north of Nain. Nain is located in a maze of coastal fjords, through which we will navigate during the night, then drop anchor. We will awake for an early breakfast, and disembarkation for shore will begin at 8a.m.

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Monday, June 7, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #35
GLB #35:  
We have a lovely evening meal aboard ship after our day in Hopedale, and following dinner, in the twilight, we pick up anchor, and begin a coastal traverse to the north, where the next village we will visit is Nain. The sun will not set until 11:30p.m. tonight, and the Labrador Sea is showing a lot of ice, so I take my cameras and begin to circulate on the outside decks. The late light is setting the mountains aglow, and floating in the shade brings out the cool blues of the bergs, so a wonderful, visual evening unfolds before my lenses, as we voyage on.

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Monday, May 31, 2021
 
GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #34
GLB #34:  
One of the last houses I come upon in Hopedale, before heading down to the coast where the shore-to-ship Zodiacs await, is this one. There is nothing special about the house, although it is two stories, but the ever-present all-terrain, 4-wheeler is parked in the side yard, and they have built a raised flower garden out of stones. Several things are blooming, but it is the notable “hose rack” that attracts my attention. It is a GIGANTIC horn set of either an elk, or a VERY big caribou. I have seen numerous large moose racks, but never an antler set this large on a lesser ungulate. This is truly a “trophy” specimen.

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Monday, May 24, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #33
GLB #33:  
I could not resist this! This is the type of village home that I am familiar with from my travels in Alaska, and my Northwest Passage crossing of the Arctic. The house, itself, is modest, and weather tough, but it is the yard, and objects in it, that are the signature. The overburdened work bench is littered with parts and tools, surrounded by a Skidoo, a small freight sled, a large dog sled, and of course, an all-terrain 4-wheeler. This family has “everything needed" right out their front door! I feel comfortably “at home,” and so I continue to wander through the neighborhoods until 6p.m. when the last shore-to-ship boat heads back, where dinner will soon be served.

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Monday, May 17, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #32
GLB #32:  
The customs check takes about two hours, and then the Zodiacs are lowered so we all can venture ashore to explore Hopedale. Hopedale looks like the Alaskan and Arctic villages with which I have been familiar. Although some houses are brightly painted, there is nowhere near the display of color that we have seen visiting Greenland. Given the timing, and season of our arrival, there is, however, a lot of color in the fields and meadows because everything is abloom. Our group tours a Moravian church that is considered to be one of the oldest wooden frame buildings in Canada, and there the Tutsiatingit Choir sings for us. Following that we visit the local museum, and later, in a school gym, students show off a variety of Inuit “games," which are really interesting, because many of them involve skill-developing for the purpose of hunting and fishing.

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Monday, May 10, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #31
GLB #31:  
The wonders of being this far north are revealed once again as I take one more round on the deck, before retiring for the night. When I went in for a last drink (or two), the sunset had faded, and I assumed it was gone, but in the domain of the midnight sun, apparently it is never really over. Here it is near midnight, and the blazing glow has returned to the sky. Amazing! Equally amazing,..this picture is actually in focus. Hahaha! The open sea has a rolling swell but nothing dramatic, and once in bed, it rocks me to sleep. The following day we remain in open water, and are delivered two lectures in the morning after breakfast, and another two after lunch. The night is uneventful with the skies overcast and cloudy, and most of us retire early. After breakfast the next morning we have two more lectures, one delivered by my cabin-mate, Jim McCarthy, entitled “Climate Change Facts,” which is VERY interesting. While having lunch, we arrive at Hopedale, Labrador, Canada, and here we will be boarded by Canadian Customs and Immigration, who will “face check” all passengers, and crew, with their passports.

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Monday, May 3, 2021 
GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #30
GLB #30:  
In the previous post, I commented that the late evening skyshow seemed as though the clouds had been set on fire. As it turns out, it is a slow burning fire that goes on for 1/2hr., deepening in color in the upper atmosphere, while the lower layer of clouds fade to black. It is a breathtaking display, and aside from the crew in the captains steerage, I am the only one watching. With no offense intended to those lecturing, at the moment this is a MUCH better way to spend the evening, so I linger until all the color finally dissipates, then rejoin my shipmates, and toast my good fortune with further alcohol consumption. Hahaha!

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Monday, April 26, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #29
GLB #29:  
Following dinner, we pull up anchor and depart the Narsaq Fjord. When we reach the Labrador Sea, the roll of the swells returns, but it is not as rough as it has been previously, so people mill about socializing, and having after-dinner drinks. There are some lectures, but I am restless, and decide to go outside, and walk around on the decks. Although there are a good deal of clouds in the sky, and the sun has set, somewhere below the horizon, its rays have reached an angle that lights up the high cloud layers and sets off a skyshow of epic proportion. "Lights up" is an understatement, it is more like the sky has been set on fire. Of the many different cloud types that are visible, I love the lenticular one that looks like a flaming flying saucer,.. definitely out of this world!

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Monday, April 19, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #28
GLB #28:  
Those who wander are rewarded. Once again, my cabin mate, Jim McCarthy, and I, leave the rest of our party behind, and make the most out of our last walk ashore for some time. Given the brevity of this exploration, we have gone about as far as we can without beginning to climb, but it is such a tranquil place, going further seems irrelevant, so we just sit and ponder it all. Clouds are moving in so the light of the late afternoon has grown hazy, but there is just enough of it to accent the rolls of the lush tundra meadows. Once we are back aboard our boat, we will have an early dinner while still inside the calm of the fjord, and then we will exit into the more turbulent Labrador Sea to begin our 1-1/2 day crossing to Newfoundland, and the port of Hopedale.

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Monday, April 12, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #27
GLB #27:  
Back aboard our cruise ship, the Zodiacs are raised, and we continue to motor downfjord. Late in the afternoon we stop one more time for a pre-dinner amble ashore. We are abreast of a tundra covered plateau that offers access from the shore, and the ground is covered a hardy, twiggy mix of interwoven plants. Equally interesting to me, where rocks are exposed, they are blanketed with dense patches of lichen. This entire landscape reveals the persistence, and hardiness of lifeforms in some of the extreme places on our planet. Unrelenting cold, much bad weather, and regular snow falls, but still, we are walking on a lush green mat of things, that are alive and thriving. Amazing!

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Monday, April 5, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #26
GLB #26:  
Each of our 4 Zodiacs takes a turn approaching the direct face of this torrential waterfall, so that the swirling currents will not push us into each other. The spray coming off of this is like rainfall, and even with the powerful outboards driving the Zodiacs, we are pushed around by whirlpools, and at this distance our forward progress is neutralized by the outflow. Quite literally, you can not get any closer, not that you would really want to. I think this is the most dramatic display of the melting icecap that we have seen. A true tour de force.
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Monday, March 29, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #25
GLB #25:  
Arsuk Fjord is deep and complicated, and after we leave it, we will spend a night, and a day, crossing the Labrador Sea to get to Hopedale. There are rough waters outside the fjord as well, and we all will be boat-bound for nearly 48hrs during the crossing. So our guides want to be sure we get in some exercise now. As you see in the previous posts, a little after midday we went ashore to hike around, and now we have arrived at a ginormus, raging waterfall, so once again the Zodiacs are lowered, and we all board-up to investigate the torrent. In other posts, I have mentioned that many of the waterfalls we have passed are sizable, so I took this shot on my Zodiac’s approach, to give you some sense of scale. Those are big boats, full of people, and they would be crushed by the force of that water if they get too close. Not only are the falls intimidating, but the roar of the water echoes off of the fjord walls, creating a din that drowns out any possibility of conversation.

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Monday, March 22, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #24
GLB #24:  
Looking in the opposite direction from last week’s post, you can see Jim McCarthy, and I, have reached the end of our shoreline rock scramble with no polar bear confrontations. You can also see what Jim refers to as layers of geologic history, all scrambled together into a jigsaw puzzle of time. The varying layers of different ages have quite different colors from one another, and while not as striking as the desert sandstone variations depicted in my blog, STONED IMMACULATE, this is, nonetheless, a very colorful jumble. It is not only the end of our traversable shore, it is the end of our time to be hiking about, so we turn back toward the granite saddle and head for our boat. He, and I, were on the first Zodiac ashore this afternoon, and we are now on the last Zodiac to return to our ship. THAT is the way to spend an afternoon exploring, and get the most out of your time.

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Monday, March 15, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #23
GLB #23:  
This post, the one last week, and the one next week, offer a panoramic triptych of the shoreline to which we have descended. The blooming terraces, visible in the previous post, are in the center of this image, above the large white and pink boulder outcrop. Jim McCarthy, and I, have arrived at this beach by walking over the granite saddle just above the display of wildflowers, and now we are rock-hopping through a jumble of geologic history that involves an intermix of colorful boulders that Jim says involve different layers of time. We won’t be here for long as a brisk, cold breeze is rising, and our moments ashore are slipping away, but before we return to our boat, I want to traverse this unusual coastline as far as I can, because it is constantly changing.

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Monday, March 8, 2021 
GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #22
GLB #22:  
Ashore for some exercise, my cabin-mate, Jim McCarthy, and I, have left the less ambitious guests for a stroll in the countryside. After climbing a hill to have a look around at the broader landscape, we descend to a rugged shoreline because Jim is attracted to the geology of the jumbled and exposed rocks. We are now completely out-of-sight from our group, and ever wary of polar bears, be we find ourselves in a stony garden. There are boulders, and walls of many hues around us, and where soil has accumulated on top of them, wildflowers bloom profusely. We are in our own little Garden of Eden, which we would never have seen if not for our mutual willingness to explore. I am sure we will be tired this evening, but we will also have enjoyed things nobody else did.

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Monday, March 1, 2021 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #21
GLB #21:  
After our tour of Brattahlid (Narsarsuaq), we board our ship once again, and begin a journey back down the fjord, to the town of Narsaq. Along the way, we stop to get some exercise ashore, and walk around a bit. During these opportunities, I like to wander off from the group, and have a look at the larger landscape by covering as much ground as quickly as I can. My cabin-mate, Jim, Mcarthy, enjoys my wanderlust as well, and he takes it upon himself to be my personal guardian from possible encounters with polar bears, so he rides “shotgun,” so to speak, and always carries one with him while I scramble about. As you see here, most of the guests are just milling about, and Jim, and I, have already hiked to a much higher vantage point. Jim is also a widely versed naturalist/scientist who knows a lot about ice, rock geology, and climate change, so as we walk, we talk, and I learn many things while taking these strolls.

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Monday, February 22, 2021 


GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #20
GLB #20:  
Here you can see one of the outbuildings in the settlement of Eric the Red. This particular structure was used to shelter livestock, and the low wall surrounding it, now slowly being swallowed by grasses, defines the “yard” within which the livestock grazed. I find the main dwelling house the most interesting. It is quite a large rectangle in shape, with a very small entry door. Several tiers of skins are draped in the entryway to ward off the cold, but once inside it is quite roomy. There are burly textiles hung from the high ceiling, in front of the walls as insulation, and a long fire pit runs down the center of the structure. The “families” would sleep around the fire pit on thatch bedding, covering themselves with furs. One anomaly to the simple structure, is a small, nearly square, separate room against one portion of a long wall. This was Eric the Red’s bedroom, where he and his wives slept on a platform above the floor, on a larger more comfortable bed. The lovely female tour guide that showed all of this to us, held me back as the others exited, and offered to show me the interior of the bedroom. Who could turn down such an offer?
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Monday, February 15, 2021 


GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #19
GLB #19:  
After breakfast, we leave the protection of Arsuk Fjord, and venture out into the rougher waters of the Labrador Sea. Fortunately it is not a long run to Eriksfjord, where we wend our way toward Brattahlid (Narsarsuaq), the site of Eric the Red’s original settlement in Greenland. The fairly large community had established themselves on a broad plain that slowly rises up into some rounded foothills. The entire landscape is abloom with flowers, and verdantly green. Once ashore, we are greeted by Viking maidens on horseback, wearing traditional costumes, who then lead us into the village. There we are handed over to tour guides, also in traditional costumes, and they walk us through the extensive ruins. There are many low walls slowly being swallowed up by the grasses, and there is a beautifully reconstructed church, as well as a main dwelling house, surrounded by numerous small outbuildings used for food storage, and shelter for various forms of livestock.
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Monday, February 8, 2021 


GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #18
GLB #18:  
Near the mouth of Arsuk Fjord, where it opens to the Labrador Sea, we take shelter for the night anchored near some impressive sheer walls. Icebergs of various sizes continue to float by us, and we can see the swell outside the fjord mouth, but we do not feel its effect from our position. The good news is, that allows everyone to have a decent dinner without motion nausea, and Jim McCarthy, my cabin mate, and I, deliver lectures that are not interrupted by people fleeing to the bathrooms. It also means a very decent night’s sleep. In the morning we will have breakfast before departing our anchorage, and then we will brave the outside waters, and head for Narsarsuag, the settlement of Eric the Red, and later in the day, the small village of Narsaq.
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Monday, February 1, 2021 


GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #17
GLB #17:  
Arsuk is a big fjord, and as we draw closer to where it opens into the Labrador Sea, we gain a more expansive view of our surroundings. Many glaciers are now feeding into these waters, and since all of them are actively calving, we are surrounded by a good deal of icebergs in varying sizes. Some are quite large, but represent no threat to us because there is plenty of open water in which we can navigate around them. As you can see in this shot, the icefields are no longer covering these summits, nonetheless, their glaciers have carved the rock into some remarkable shapes and spires, which the retreating ice has now revealed. Our cruise is spectacular, and the day remains relatively clear and sunny, so pretty much everyone is out, walking around on the various decks, and taking it all in. I, myself, find a big blanket, and a nice deck chair, where I sit with my cameras, and some mild libation, while I watch “the movie” glide by.
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Monday, January 25, 2021 


GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #16
GLB #16:  
Having passed a good deal of time enjoying the calving glacier at the end of Arsuk Fjord (last post), we finally start to cruise our way back towards the open sea. As we know the swell is still strong, we do not intend to leave the shelter of our fjord just yet, and we will overnight here in calmer waters. This leaves us some time to explore as we motor back, and at one point we shut down, and put the Zodiacs in the water with the intent of visiting an expanse of cliffs that are a bird rookery. The cliffs are busy with activity, and birds are coming and going constantly, bringing back food to their young, and materials to improve their nests. For me, however, the most dramatic part of our Zodiac exploration, are several large, raging waterfalls that we pass along the way, of which this is one. The roar of this made conversation aboard the Zodiac nearly impossible, and the force of the outflow of water, nearly neutralizes the Zodiac’s motor power, as we try to remain in place while watching it.
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Monday, January 18, 2021 


GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #15
GLB #15:  
At the end of Arsuk Fjord the icecap finally is revealed, and a terminal glacier pours down from it. The glacier is broad, and actively calving, so we go dead in the water for awhile, and watch the show as we drift. With the engines off, we can hear the creaking and cracking of the ice, and the thunderous echoes when big pieces break off and drop into the water. We spend about an hour like this, and then the captain decides to take us in for a closer look. Still maintaining a safe distance, we do get very close, and the blue glow of the dense ice becomes more surreal from this vantage point. It also turns out that the “little” waterfall streaming in from the left, is actually not so little, and as we pull in for the close-up, it is roaring audibly above the sound of our motors. We determine to spend the day in the protection of the fjord, and after dinner, I do a slide lecture about working from a moving platform, and how to expose appropriately for the wide ranging contrasts of whitewater and dark rock. My cabin-mate, Harvard professor, Jim McCarthy, follows after me, and talks about the many forms of ice. We all finally have a well deserved, undisturbed sleep, and in the morning we journey to the restored historic village of Eric the Red.
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Monday, January 11, 2021 


GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #14
GLB #14:  
After the 16-hour battering from the stormy Labrador Sea, reaching the protected waters of Arsuk Fjord is a GREAT relief. People suffering motion sickness begin to recover, and the wind dies down so we can circulate on the outside decks and enjoy the view. As we navigate farther up the fjord, the icecap asserts itself above the fjord walls, and although we cannot see it, we know it is there because it is sending down spectacular torrents of meltwater, cascading through dramatic staircase waterfalls. The air is cold, but sobering for those that have had queasy stomachs, so almost everyone comes out onto the open decks to breathe in the briskness, and enjoy the spectacle of sheer walls and dancing waters.
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Monday, January 4, 2021 


GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #13
GLB #13:  
In this fjord complex there are two communities, one quite different from the other, and we will spend a brief amount of time in both. Qarusuk, a village abandoned in the 1960’s, is a view into the historical past featuring a collection of sod houses dating back 500-years, a graveyard, and numerous artifacts, like fox traps, laying about the landscape. Nuuk, on the other hand, is the capital of Greenland, and bills itself as the “smallest capitol in the world.” Nonetheless, it is the largest city in Greenland, and although still painted colorfully, very modern. Nuuk is not only the seat of government, but it has an informative cultural center, an excellent art museum, and a network of roads with some of the wackiest names you can imagine. The lengthy highway that leads to the other side of the harbor is named Borgmester Annitap Agguserna. What! After our day of touring about these communities, we once again head for open water with the intent of visiting another village, Paamiut, tomorrow. As dinner approaches, we reach the edge of the Labrador Sea, and a storm sky coming right at us. By the end of the meal, things have gotten truly weird, and we are being hammered by the swell. Through the night, things get even worse, the swell increases, and we are being buffeted by 40-knot winds. Come morning, the storm is so fierce that we pass on visiting Paamiut which is somewhat exposed, the captain deciding instead, to make run for the Arsuk Fjord complex further south, where we can find protected waters once again. At least 1/2 of the guests do not show up for breakfast.
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Monday, December 28, 2020 


GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #12
GLB #12:  
With the last passengers back aboard, and the zodiacs loaded, we finally get underway, and as we navigate out of the harbor, I get in a few last shots of Manitsoq with its colorful boats and buildings. Once we leave the protection of the harbor, it is clear there is as growing swell running in the open waters of the Labrador Sea. Although most on board are taking meds for motion sickness, some are still affected, and the lounge is notably unpopulated for the rest of the day. I, however, sit with some of the other researchers, discuss climate change research with which they are involved, and help draw down the massive cache of snacks and alcohol that has been brought aboard. A good time is had by all, and by dinner time, our run to the fjord complex brings us back into still waters. Most everyone shows up for dinner, but it is clear some still have not regained their appetites. I am grateful I have always responded well to airsick, and seasick medications. I hate having a queasy stomach.
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Monday, December 21, 2020 


GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #11
GLB #11:  
After a soda at the general store, and some dried fish jerky, I walked along the waterfront to where the Zodiacs would be, waiting to take our group back to the expedition ship. This offered me one last colorful encounter with Manitsoq and its community. However, it was not the brightly painted buildings this time, but rather, equally colorful fishing gear laying about in large piles. I am not exactly sure what they catch in these massive nettings, but for sure it is something big. A few frames on, and the time has come, so I board one of the ferrying zodiacs, and head for our boat. Once in my room, and my gear bags off, I realize I am exhausted from all of the staircases I have been climbing, so I ascend to the lounge for a comfortable chair, some afternoon snacks, and a beer (or two). Others are still coming aboard, but soon we will hoist our anchor and head back out into the Labrador Sea where we will turn south, and then seek refuge for the night in a fjord complex that hosts two small villages, Qarusok and Nuuk, the capitol of Greenland.

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Monday, December 14, 2020 


GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #10
GLB #10:  
After a lot of stair scrambles that offer me differing points of view in this colorful community, I join others on our research team, and we interview a village panel that has assembled to speak with us. Interestingly, although their hunting and fishing patterns have been disturbed by the warming climate, and they are alarmed at the epic meltback of the icecap, they all mention that it is the first time they have been able to grow their own fresh vegetables, and they like that. When our discussion ends, we are told we have about one hour before we should go back to our boat, so I circle out through Manitsoq for one last look around. Down near the edge of the waterfront, I find this, a general store. Like most general stores, it has sodas, and snack food, like chips, but it also has some items that are uniquely Inuit. There are various bags of dried fish. There are pickled bird’s eggs (I think eiders). And, there are also various preparations of seal meat, and whale blubber. I have never seen that in any North American mini-mart. Nor have I ever seen such a store so gloriously bedecked with colorful paint.

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Monday, December 7, 2020 


GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #9
GLB #9:  
More boats, more stairs, more exposed pipes, and endless color. You saw this house cluster from a different perspective in post #6, but I revisit it here because I especially like the two-tone paint job on the salmon-orange house to the upper right. If you tried that in LA, the homeowners association would sue you. On the westside of LA in the neighborhood of Holmby Hills, lawns are MANDATED in front yards, no meadow plantings, or dry gardens, drought conditions be damned! Glad I have moved to the beach. I am about to paint over the 1990’s (very dull) mustard yellow of my house with a slightly paler blue than the house in the middle of this picture, somewhere between Manitsoq and Santorini.

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Monday, November 30, 2020 


GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #8
GLB #8:  
Bicycles are everywhere, and the most commonly used way to get around town. There are cars, but they are used more to transport things, then to just drive from one place to another, the village is not that large. One thing is certain, which is clear to me carrying my camera gear around, these people are fit. They have to be just to get to their homes and stores. There are endless staircases that must be used to go anywhere. This community would be a stair-runners daydream. Imagine the workout simply getting your groceries into your home. I will bet this is tricky to negotiate in the dark of an icy winter day, I would want to have cleats on my shoes.

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Monday, November 23, 2020 


GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #7
GLB #7:  
Did I say “a lot of boats?” Seriously! I am not sure what these residents do to make them SO prosperous, but it must be valuable because it appears that EVERYONE has a boat, a tidy house, many have cars, and there are also a large number of ATV’s as well. The fishing must be good because there is zero agriculture, and very little manufacturing. I have been in a lot of Native communities in Alaska and across the Canadian Arctic, but none of them looked like this.

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Monday, November 16, 2020 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #6
GLB #6:  
As we motored deeper into the harbor of Manitsoq, we all began to realize we were about to have a very different experience of a community. There were boats of every description, and the were everywhere. There were also buildings and houses of every description, painted in an astounding array of colors. As I would eventually learn, choosing these colors was, in part, to brighten the village in the dark of winter, and the gray of the surrounding granite, but some buildings had specific colors that only could be used for them because the color designated what they were, such as a hospital. The color specific buildings were a color-coded service buildings so residents could find them easily in any emergency. Aside from those specific code colors, all the others were available to the villagers to go hog-wild with, and they did.

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Monday, November 9, 2020 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #5
GLB #5:  
After breakfast the next morning, our expedition left Ikamiut Fjord and headed for the first visit to an Inuit village, Manitsoq, where we would do our first interviews, and walk about the town. We left the fjord for the open ocean briefly, and then turned into another fjord where Manitsoq was located. Having only seen Kangerlussuaq in Sondestrom Fjord, we discovered Manitsoq to have a VERY different look. Unlike Kangerlussuaq, which was situated many miles from the open ocean, the village of Manitsoq was located close to the open sea to give residents more access to hunting and fishing. Just far enough into the fjord to give safe harbor to their boats, Manitsoq was built upon the solid granite domes of the surrounding landscape. There were few flat places here, and not much soil. It was a place of hard rock, and as a consequence, instead of the labor of drilling into the granite to bury pipelines, etc., the villagers just left everything exposed, as you can see here.

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Monday, November 2, 2020 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #4
GLB #4:  
This image from earlier in the day on our hike in Ikamiut Fjord, shows one of the numerous large rivers fed by the meltback of the Greenland icecap. Most of these waters carry a lot of glacial till in them, so they are a stunning turquoise color, and as you might expect, they are shockingly cold. Most are also so broad as to be unpassable. There were several in our party that tried in places that looked doable by rock-hopping, but once out in the midst of it, surrounded by the fast current, and the freezing water, every attempt turned back. The cold, rushing water did offer some relief, however, because it generated a very cool airflow in its near proximity, and if you sat on a boulder at the shore, the frigid breeze kept the mosquitoes away.

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Monday, October 26, 2020 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #3
GLB #3:  
In spite of the swarms of mosquitoes, the day of hiking in Ikamiut Fjord consisted of a spectacular setting, full of surging rivers connecting numerous large lakes, and all surrounded by some seriously rugged mountains, many of which hosted descending glaciers. This picture made late in the day, before returning to our boat, shows exactly that. Towering above one of the uppermost lakes on our hike, this sheer face, streaming glaciers, is typical of the mountains surrounding us, and above the summits to the east, everything is buried beneath the vast Greenland icecap that spans the entire island from coast to coast.

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Monday, October 19, 2020 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #2
GLB #2:  
After a second night at the lodge, our Zeagrahm boat was finally prepped and provisioned, so early in the morning of July 14, we all boarded, and began our trip. Sondre Stromfjord is quite lengthy, and it took a good part of the day to reach the North Atlantic, after which we traveled several miles south along the Greenland coast, and then turned into Ikamiut Fjord, where we would go ashore to hike in the morning. There is no anchoring in the open North Atlantic because of the swell, so on this trip we will always seek refuge in a fjord, or a village harbor. At the head of Ikamiut Fjord, where we would spend this night, the numerous Zodiacs we had aboard, were put into the water. They would ferry guests ashore the next day, so we could spend several hours wandering in the landscape of Greenland. As you can see, our surroundings were quite dramatic, but the downside of the day was that the mosquito population was INSANE, and you had to keep moving constantly, because, if you stopped, you were swarmed. It made taking pictures a risky business.

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Monday, October 12, 2020 

GREENLAND, LABRADOR, and BAFFIN ISLAND:  A Climate Change Research Expedition in the North Atlantic, #1
GLB #1:  
For two weeks in July of 2006, I was invited to join a prestigious group of researchers and speakers aboard a Zegrahm Expeditions boat that would visit Greenland, Labrador, and Baffin Island. Organized by the Harvard Museum of Natural History, the World Wildlife Fund, and The Nature Conservancy, we were there to witness evidence of the Greenland icecap retreat, and to visit numerous Inuit communities where we would have interviews with residents about their personal observations on the impacts of climate change. The starting point of this adventure was to be Sondre Stromfjord on the southwest coast of Greenland, which meant a long flight for me from Los Angeles, through New York, and on to Greenland. Interestingly, when I completed the crossing of the Northwest Passage as one of William Simon’s guests, aboard his luxurious research vessel, Itasca, we finished that trip in Sondre Stromfjord, where we disembarked the boat, and flew back to Long Island. The fjord hosts an Inuit village, Kangerlussuag, several lodges, a military base, and a simple airport. On the Simon trip we saw little of those places, however, as we arrived in the evening, after dark, and departed by jet the next morning. On this trip, though, my flight arrived late in the day, and our boat was not due until the following one, so I had a room in one of the lodges. When the Zegrahm boat anchored the next day, it still had to unload passengers, buy provisions, clean cabins, and reload our luggage, so I spent another day in the fjord, being driven around by a guide from the lodge where I was staying. He knew what our trip was about, and he wanted me to see this view in particular, because he grew up in the Kangerlussuag, and when he was younger, that distant glacial cap in this picture, filled the valley where you see water now. The green hills coming in from the right were under glacial ice and not visible.

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