Note: This article has been updated since the original publication date.
Navigating the icy waters of Antarctica is no easy feat, but each year the U.S. military conducts a mission called Operation Deep Freeze to resupply the research center on the south tip of Ross Island. This year, a physical scientist for the U.S. National Ice Center (USNIC) was tasked with briefing the Polar Star’s crew on the location of sea ice, as well as how close the ship was to different sea ice features like ridges and cracks.