June 9th, 2009 | By Nora Sawyer | Filed in Current Trips, Recent Trips, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY

A satellite image generated by Noetix showing the location of the pack ice in Navy Board

Last week, I mentioned Arctic Kingdom’s collaboration with Noetix, a company that provides real-time maps of the Arctic’s ever-shifting floe edge. Expedition manager Thomas Lennartz was on the ice, following Noetix-generated maps and reporting back with conditions in the field. The purpose of this collaboration was to provide Noetix with feedback on the information their satellite images provide, allowing them to provide more nuanced information about conditions on the ice.

Today, I was able to get my hands on some images from that collaboration. What follows are Satellite images of Navy Board in late May provided by Noetix, along with some notes about conditions on and off the ice from Thomas.

Noetix asked Thomas to photograph and report on various areas that appeared to have some irregularity that could not be identified in the satellite images. They provided Thomas and his team with real-time maps of ice conditions, including proposed route information and rough ice warnings.

They also provided information on variables that might affect the environment on the ice, such as wind and weather conditions.

In return, Thomas provided Noetix with an account of conditions on the ground. He took note of animal migrations as well as weather patterns.

By using Noetix’s satellite images, Arctic Kingdom has been able to better assess the ice while in the field, looking at conditions across a broad area and planning expedition movements accordingly. Because ice conditions can change extremely rapidly, real-time information on ice conditions is invaluable, allowing expedition leaders to assess up-to-the-minute information. As a satisfied user of Noetix maps, Arctic Kingdom is proud to contribute to this excellent service!

Want to join the fun? For more information for our expeditions out onto the ice, visit our Trips page.

Tags: arctic, arctic exploration, arctic kingdom, arctic science, ice, ice edge, ice mapping, narwhal, narwhal migration, navy board, noetix, satellite images