Summary of the Thorpex television documentary
The project will be researched and planned in 2007 and the filming and editing will take place in 2008.
A team of researchers at Andøya base has 20 days in which to reveal one of the great mysteries of the Barents Sea. They will fly in and get acquainted with the powerful low pressure systems that often form in the sea north of Norway. Sudden cyclones, apparently rising out of nice weather, have killed several fishermen throughout the course of history and can prove fatal for future oil and gas production. Until now, no scientists have succeeded in revealing the secret of the cyclones.
The main characters in the film will be scientists. From the base on Andøya, they study the weather forecast, waiting for the right weather to arrive. We join them in a specially equipped jet plane during their weather survey, and find ourselves in the middle of a cyclone. At the same time, we follow the activities on board the ship that is collecting data at sea level. B y way of a small camera that is fastened to a remote controlled plane on Spitsbergen, we also get an insight into the conditions that make the bad weather.
During the programme we look back on episodes where fishermen have been surprised by cyclones in the northern areas. Little by little, as the research process develops, we get an insight into how low pressure systems and cyclones develop, and why especially strong weather forces prevail in this area. Much of the technical equipment used by the scient ists was madspecially for this project. How does it work, and is it certain that it works as it should?
People and technology must be well co-ordinated when the expected weather arrives. Perhaps the Andøya-team will experience only one true low pressure system during the days they spend collecting data, and then nothing must go wrong...