A comparison of Soviet and American drifting ice stations

• Published in: Polar Record
• Main Author: Smith, Charles L.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1971
• Subjects: General Earth and Planetary Sciences; Ecology; Geography, Planning and Development; Arctic; Arctic Basin; Polar Record
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400062100; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247400062100

Until the early 20th century, exploration of the Arctic Basin was hindered by the lack of vehicles that could traverse ice and water as well as cross leads and pressure ridges. This lack affected not only movements of explorers themselves but also the transport of food, supplies, and the equipment required to sustain life in an inhospitable environment. In 1925, however, an aircraft made the first successful landing on pack ice and ushered in an era of scientific stations on the pack ice itself.