Katie Paterson

Vatnajokull (the sound of )

1 April - 1 June 2008

CALL NOW!! This is LIVE and accessable from anywhere in the world by calling a UK mobile number. The link between the UK and Iceland is being made available at no cost by Virgin Mobile. You will be charged at the rate normally associated with calling a mobile phone in the United Kingdom. Check with your local telephone provider for exact costs. Please limit calls to 5 minutes or less per day to allow as many people as possible a chance to hear the melting glacier. Call: in the UK: 07757 001122 outside UK: +44 7757 001122 You can contact Katie Paterson at the email address shown below. For information about the Dolphinear equipment used on this project, go to the DolphinEar.com website Contact Katie: vatnajokull@katiepaterson.org Katie's website: www.katiepaterson.org

This is the Glacial Lake formed by the melting of the Vatnajokull Glacier.
This photo was taken by Katie Paterson inMarch 2008 while setting up DolphinEar equipment.

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Photo and Sound Diary:

The DolphinEar(tm) equipment that makes this project possible:

1 April 2008.   This is the equipment that we useto bring you LIVE sounds from the melting Vatnajokull
Glacier. It is a modified DolphinEar DE500 wireless interface connected to a Nokia mobile telephone.

As you can see there are 4 large gray batteries that have provided power to operate the DE500 electronics.
The DE500 interface is located in the middle and in the lower left corner you can see part of the Nokia phone
which is standing vertically in the waterproof case.

The hydrophone disk and cable plug into a connector on the box. Not shown is a second battery box that
powers the mobile telephone. The DE500 and it's mobile telephone must operate for the entire duration of
the project - 60 days. There will be no one there to charge batteries, or dust snow and ice off the cases.
Temperatures will be warming to -10C but winds will peak at around 45knots at times. We equipped it with
enough battery capacity to last for a minimum of 70 days at -10 degrees Celcius!

Once closed, the entire apparatus is watertight - just in case an iceberg floated by and snagged the cable
dragging everything along with it. You'll also notice there is a lot of foam insulation. With temperatures
reaching -15C or colder at times we wanted to make sure the batteries and phone stayed as warm as
possible to avoid malfunctions.

Sound Clip

March 31st - 60 second clip. The clicks and pops you will hear are from the release of ancient air trapped
within the ice for tens of thousands of years. When the glacial ice melts it releases this trapped air making
the sounds you hear.

More Photos

Taken during equipment setup in late March 2008.

Searching for a suitable location to set up the equipment. Katie is kneeling on the rocky outcrop on the right side of the
photo along the edge of the lake.

Once the proper location was selected a temporary tent was erected to protect Katie and Ian from the elements while
they set up the equipment and check the tidal range of the Glacial Lake. Besides shifting icebergs, they also have to
contend with a tide that raises and lowers the lake surface. Once they are happy with the setup the tent will be collapsed
so it is not blown away in the ferocious winds which can reach 45-60 knots! The equipment is designed to operate
unattended for a minimum of 70 days at temperatures as low as -15C. It will be retreived and returned to the UK
sometime after June 1st when the weather will be much warmer (perhaps 0-5 C).

Photos and diary from last year's expedition

COMMENTS?

If you had a chance to listen, we would appreciate your comments. Please send them to
glacier@danxtel.com And, thank you for participating in this project!

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