The Norwegian research vessel called Lance drifting among sea ice floes in the Arctic Ocean.

The bow of a small research vessel cuts a path through sea ice revealing darker water below -The Arctic Ocean

Using a hot water drill to cut a hole through sea ice next to a ship. The cross section reveals the top layer of snow cover with the layer of sea ice below

Scientists prepare a red weather balloon over sea ice to gather data about atmospheric conditions over the Arctic Ocean

This is a section through a piece of sea ice, photographed under a large polarising filter, lit from below. The filter reveals the structure, colours and shows the brine channels within the ice.

The ship was temporarily stuck in between the sea ice floes, eventually the crew were able to free the ship to manoeuvre into open water

Two scientists walk around the research ship which is frozen fast into the ice, they carry canes to mark out their study area

Scientists tend meteorological instruments covered with frost -a weather like this is essential for field research into sea ice

A research ship advancing slowly through sea ice, the ice slows the ship down and great care is required in piloting as it cracks

Two of the Norwegian crew members go out onto the ice to check the thickness and stability -they will fix mooring lines to tie the ship to the ice floe