Monday, 30 December 2013

Antarctic ship: New bid by a Australia ship to free Russian vessel trapped in ice

An Australian vessel has arrived in East Antarctica in a renewed bid to free a scientific mission ship trapped in dense pack ice since Tuesday.But bad weather has been is hampering efforts to reach the 
Russian Academician Shokalskiy, says the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).

Earlier rescue attempts by Chinese and French icebreakers were foiled by the thick ice.
Seventy-four scientists, tourists and crew are on the Shokalskiy.The vessel is being used by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition to follow the route explorer Douglas Mawson travelled a century ago.

The Shokalskiy remains well stocked with food and is in no danger, according to the team.
Despite being trapped, the scientists have continued their experiments, measuring temperature and salinity through cracks in the surrounding ice so things are normal on the shipapart from being trapped

 Expedition member Chris Turney earlier posted a video message online saying winds had picked up and it was snowing again.

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