During the spring and summer melt, the sea ice atop the Arctic Ocean (shown here in this photo from July 12, 2011) begins to melt; the liquid water collects in depressions on the surface, pressing down on them and making them deeper until they become melt ponds. These freshwater ponds stay separated from the salty sea below and around it until cracks in the ice let the two mix.

Scientists who are part of NASA's ICESCAPE mission (Impacts of Climate on Ecosystems and Chemistry of the Arctic Pacific Environment) are studying these melt ponds and the surrounding water and ice to see how changes in the Arctic impact the ocean's chemical and biological makeup.

In the photo above, crewmembers are collecting supplies. Earlier in the day a C-130 airplane flew in and dropped a parachuted canister of hardware for fixing instruments and other machinery on the icebreaker, the Cutter Healy, which is carrying the research team. [Read: Melting Arctic Ice Marks Possible Sea Change in Marine Ecosystems]

Keep up with the mission on the ICESCAPE blog by NASA science writer Kathryn Hansen.

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