Fram
Fram was a ship used in expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctic regions by Norwegian explorers 1893 - 1912. Fram was the strongest ship ever built; it was built by the british shipwright Colin Archer for Fridtjof Nansen's 1893 expedition where Nansen planned to let Fram freeze into the Arctic ice sheet and float through the ice sheet, via the North Pole.Fram is the sea vessel to have sailed furthest north and furthest south.
Nansen called upon the shipwright Colin Archer from Larvik to construct him a vessel with a lot of unique features. The ship is built with a wood calld greenheart as the outer layer to withstand the ice, and built almost without keel to handle the shallow waters Nansen thought he would encounter. The rudder and propeller were made so that they could be pulled into the ship to protect them from damage. The ship was also extraordinarily isolated, as Nansen planned for living in it up to five years.Construction
Nansen was a driven Polar exporer and wanted to explore the Arctic further north than anyone else. He had to, however, deal with the problem that had encountered many sailing in the polar ocean before him: the freezing ice would press and tearn a ship to shreds. Nansen's idea was to build a ship so strong it could survive the pressure, and with a shape so that it would "float" on top the ice.
| Explorer | Years | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Fridtjof Nansen | 1893-1896 | Arctic ice sheet |
| Otto Sverdrup | 1898-1902 | Arctic Islands |
| Roald Amundsen | 1910-1912 | South Pole |
Through the Arctic ice sheet
Due to driftwood findings in the region of Svalbard, Nansen speculated in whether there was an ocean current flowing beneath the ice sheet, bringing driftwood from Siberia to Svalbard. With Fram built, Nansen could explore this.
Fram left harbour June 24 1898, with 17 men onboard. The goal was to chart the land of the Arctic Islands, and to sample the geology, flora and fauna.
Sverdrup's scientific explorations
In 1898, Otto Sverdrup led a scientific expedition to the Arctic Islands. Fram was slightly modified for this journey; its freeboard was increased.Amundsen's race to the south pole
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