ICE-ARC project Cruise report. R/V Porsild August 21^st - 23^rd 2016

A sediment coring program was undertaken from the research vessel R/V Porsild August 21_st – 23_rd 2016. The research vessel belongs to the University of Copenhagen and was chartered for the ICE-ARC cruise. 12 sediment cores were collected during the cruise in the Rodebay area of the Disko Bay region using a Rhumor Lot corer. Neither seismic profiles nor detailed depth soundings existed for the areas to be investigated. Therefore ecco sounding profiles were run prior to coring operations to located sea bottom depressions suitable for the coring.
The cores will be analyzed using a suite of different methods and techniques. Based on these data a record of past changes including past climate changes, changes in sea ice cover and productivity will be outlined with specific focus on the Whaling Period 16^th – 18^th century.

ICE-ARC Work Package 3 holds in addition to the objective of investigating past climate changes also an important component of past and present socio economic conditions in Greenland and the impact of western civilization on the Inuit communities in Greenland. In order to focus on this subject the old whaling area called Rodebay just north of Ilulissat was chosen as the focal point for the coring activities. This area was a stronghold for the European whalers in the 16^th – 18^th century.