2024-08-16, Handbugta, North Greenland

The combination of a strong icebreaker and access to a helicopter for field work means we can also use the transport time for research. When we want to get north through the ice as efficiently as possible, we avoid stopping for sampling and instead focus on research that can take samples and collect data either from ice stations or from land. When planning expeditions where it may be relevant to fly in over land, we always have two helicopters with us for extra security. If, for some reason, a helicopter should go down for landing with some type of failure, we have the other helicopter as a backup that can pick up crew and, if needed, sling load the other helicopter home. On expeditions when we are not working over land, having a helicopter on board is enough because we always have I/B Oden as backup when we fly and work over ice.

When we fly in research projects on land, the helicopter always makes a few extra overflights to look for polar bears and wolves and look for safe and sound landing positions where you also have good visibility so that no one is surprised by, for example, a polar bear. Time is an important safety factor. If danger is detected in good time, we have time to prevent and avoid confrontation, and the best thing is if everyone can calmly and quietly return to the helicopter and leave the area. We have a group of researchers looking for bones, teeth and tissue samples to collect both modern and ancient DNA. Through paleogenetic analyses, one can explore historical ecosystem changes in Northern Greenland and create a timeline of the different times when different species of animals, plants and humans have established themselves in the area and also understand demographic processes that have occurred historically within the different populations.

Text by Åsa Lindgren, Expedition Coordinator