Greenland Icebergs Tagged with Trackers

Norwegian installs GPS devices by climbing onto icebergs

A Norwegian climate change scientist and Arctic adventurer has outfitted icebergs with satellite trackers off the coast of Greenland, climbing onto the floating ice mountains himself.

Knut Solberg said he “tagged” five icebergs this summer with global positioning system transmitters so he could monitor their movements in sea currents.

“You’re able to watch the path of the icebergs on the internet to see the long-term trends — how the icebergs move,” Solberg told CBC News.

To tag the icebergs, Solberg said, he travelled aboard his 12-metre-long sailboat, sidling the vessel up against each iceberg and scaling it with an ice axe.

“That was quite a scary experience because the icebergs are kind of unstable. It’s not a place you should really hang around for too long,” he said.

“You have crampons and ice screws and ropes and all that, and then you make your way up to find a suitable place for the transponder,” he added. “You just hope that the iceberg won’t turn when you are there.”

Solberg has travelled through Arctic waters, including the Northwest Passage, to collect scientific data each year. He said he has spent two winters aboard his sailboat, surrounded by thick ice.

In addition to installing the GPS trackers, Solberg said he tested water temperatures, trying to find out more about the impact of climate change.

“The glaciers are melting. The sea ice is deteriorating earlier in the spring and consolidating later in the fall,” he said. “It’s clear that that’s happening all over the Arctic.”

Solberg said he’s planning more expeditions in the North next summer.