Hudson Bay

The weather forecasts for eastern Hudson Bay don’t seem to be very reliable at the moment and the wind has been slowly moving around us in a circle most days. So we measure clean air for a few hours (ideal) before the wind blows straight from the generator (not ideal!). Hopefully when this low pressure finally moves away we will get stronger winds from over the snow.

In the past week we had a day or two of snow before the sunny skies returned so it’s been a nice contrast. And don’t ever let anyone tell you it’s “too cold to snow”! What rubbish! It’s interesting how tuned in to the temperature we have become. There is a marked difference between -20°C and -30°C and the most obvious is frozen capillaries in your nose!

The sunsets here are magical with the light setting over Hudson Bay.
As the sunsets the shorter wavelength light (uv and purples) disappears first leaving the longer wavelengths (orange and red). This light gives the snow an eerie feel, which combined with the sound of the ice cracking and creaking as it moves, and sunset really is magic hour:



The York container (left) contains the GC-MS (halocarbons), FAGE (OH & HO2 (HO_x), NOxy (NO, NO₂, NO_y), Ozone and CO Monitors and the ice camp base instruments.
Café Doas (right) contains the long-path and cavity enhanced DOAS instruments and some really comfy seats I brought from home, which won't fit in the York container.


Here frost flowers have grown on this tidal pool. They are really delicate ice formations and wind will destroy them. As will poking them with a long stick to see just how brittle they are - oops!