The ship will be frozen in the ice. Scientists from 17 countries will study climate of the Arctic

The International arctic research expedition MOSAiC (Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate) went from Tromso (Norway) to the Central Arctic. Scientists from 17 countries are participating in it. The German icebreaker “Polarstern” will be frozen in the ice and will drift together with the ice floe along the Transpolar Drift Stream, will go past the North Pole and supposedly in autumn of 2020 will be set free from ice in the Fram Strait. This route will repeat the drift of Fridtjof Nansen on the ship “Fram” in 1893-1896.

The expedition MOSAiC being headed by Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) sets unprecedented challenges. The vessel “Polarstern” will become the central observatory for atmospheric, ice, snow, oceanographic, environmental and biogeochemical measurements and experiments. In the ice camp near the ship during more than 350 days the scientists will conduct constant monitoring of characteristics of the Arctic natural environment. The data obtained in the project will help to perfect models of the polar atmosphere and ocean and to improve high-resolution weather forecasts in the Arctic.  

According to head of the project MOSAiC Markus Rex, this is an innovative mission. Such complex arctic expedition has never been conducted. For the first time the scientists will be able to obtain data on climate processes in the Central Arctic in winter. And therefore for the first time they will be able to understand the Arctic climate and properly to represent it in climate models. The Arctic is the epicenter of global warming and has already undergone dramatic changes. And this is the weather kitchen for North America, Europe and Asia. At the same time, climate models today can not adequately reproduce the processes. There are no reliable forecasts of the Arctic climate or consequences of its change. Their mission is to change that, says the head of the project.

The budget of the expedition is about 140 million euros. During a year about 300 researchers from Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA will visit the board of the ship. Scientists from Austria and South Korea will supply the expedition with information from the mainland.

The Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) plays the significant role in organizing of the expedition, as the press service of the institution reports. The vessel “Akademik Fyodorov” will accompany “Polarstern” from the moment of leaving the port till the vessel is frozen in the drifting ice of the Arctic basin. Employees of AARI, Roshydromet will provide the expedition with satellite information necessary to select the optimal ice floe for scientific work. In addition, specialized ice reconnaissance by helicopters will be fulfilled from “Akademik Fyodorov”. The scientists of AARI will fulfill operational ice forecasting support for the expedition. In shifts two ice experts of AARI will perform work on the vessel. After selection of the ice floe “Akademik Fyodorov” will provide diesel refueling of the icebreaker “Polarstern”. Rotation of the scientists on the icebreaker “Polarstern” will be fulfilled also through the settlement Khatanga and the scientific research station of AARI “Ice Base Cape Baranov” every two-three months with use of Russian transport.

Rosmorport is also the official partner of MOSAiC. The icebreaker “Kapitan Dranitsyn” will participate in the unique expedition, as the press service of the enterprise reports. The vessel will deliver provisions and fuel for resupply, scientific and marine equipment, rotating crew and scientific personnel of the research vessel.