We have many pieces of highly sophisticated technological equipment at our disposal here on the Arctic Sunrise. One of the newest is our Lake-o-meter (patent pending). While it may look suspiciously like a length of rope with a shackle on the end, the Lake-o-meter (patent pending) is in fact a depth measuring system with a high degree of operational reliability.

The Lake-o-meter (patent pending) was invented to get a rough idea of how deep the melt lakes on Helheim glacier are. To deploy the Lake-o-meter (patent pending), the helicopter hovers over the melt lake, while the "rope" is lowered through an open door (obviously, seatbelts must be worn at all times). Naturally, the distance from the helicopter to the water's surface must be adjusted for. This can be done by using the helicopter's radalt (radar altimeter), visual observation, or (more accurately) checking where the wet bit starts as the Lake-o-meter (patent pending) is retrieved. If the last method is used, the Lake-o-meter (patent pending) must be "reset" between measurements (by letting it dry).

As silly as the Lake-o-meter (patent pending) might sound, it has a serious side. An average sized lake we measured was 14 meters (46 feet) deep, and only one of hundreds. These glacial lakes indicate surface melting, and absorb more sun than bare ice (thus increasing the surface melting further). The melt water also has a lubricating effect when it drains into the base of the glacier, causing it to speed up.

Faster glaciers lead to more sea level rise when, like Helheim, they drain the Greenland ice sheet. And the faster these glaciers flow the faster the ice sheet gets transported out into the ocean.

- Andrew