Arctic team reports unusual conditions near Pole

[phantom power]

A group of British explorers just back from a 60-day trip to the North Pole said Monday they had encountered unusual conditions, including ice sheets that drifted far faster than they had expected.

...

Expedition leader Ann Daniels said the ice drifted so much that they eventually covered 500 nautical miles (576 miles) rather than the 268 nautical miles initially envisaged.

The first day the team was dropped off the ice moved so quickly to the south that it took the trio 10 days to make it back to their starting point.

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Martin Hartley, a member of the team, said the condition of the ice was unpleasantly bad.

"We spent a couple of days walking on ice that was three or four inches thick with no other thicker ice around, which was a big surprise to us," he told the news conference.

http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/41335