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Raketa Arctic North Pole Expedition 24h Watch |
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Untitled Document
Arctic North Pole first polar arctic expedition watch
Case is 41 mm x 39 mm
Mechanical 40h winding
24-hour dial
Case - stainless alloy neusilber
16 Ruby jewels
Comes with leather band
North Pole Drifting Stations (1930s-1980s)
A remarkable expedition was accomplished by the USSR just prior to the start
of World Wor II, led by political officer Ivan Papanin. From a starting base
on Rudolf Island in Frantz Josef Land, an aircraft expedition was deployed to
the North Pole and a research camp established on the drifting ice in the vicinity
of the pole. For communications, a radio beacon was installed, and for resupply,
a landing strip was prepared.
The fleet of four heavy and one light aircraft departed Moscow in March 1937
under the command of Otto Schmidt. In May, the aircraft of aviator Vodopianov
reached the North Pole, passed it and landed on an ice floe about 3 m thick
and 4 km2 in area at latitude 89°26'N. In a few days, three more aircraft landed.
A little more than a week later all of the aircraft returned to base, leaving
four hardy explorers: Papanin, the chief of the station; Peter Shirshov, the
hydro biologist; Eugeny Fedorov, astronomer and meteorologist; and radio operator
Ernest Krenkel.
The drift continued for 274 days, during which the station travelled more than
2600 km, obtaining the first scientific observations from that high latitude.
The crew regularly measured ocean depth, took bottom soil samples, measured
water temperature, took water samples from different levels, and carried out
meteorological observations. In February 1938 the "North Pole" station drifted
out to the Greenland Sea, and after several attempts, the camp was evacuated
successfully with the help of an icebreaker.
Arctic studies over several decades were aimed at understanding of regularities
of natural processes and how to forecast them. The drifting ice stations collected
fundamental observational data. These operations continued until 1991 when the
station "North Pole-31" terminated. During the period 1937-1991, 88 polar crews
occupied the ice floes for a total of 29,726 drift days, while drifting a distance
of 169,654 km. The research program of the "North Pole" drifting stations is
unequalled in the 20th century by duration, variety of observational material,
importance of scientific discoveries, and number of resolved problems. Only
recently, in spring 2003, after a 12-year break, has the next station "North
Pole-32" been deployed.
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