About 100 scientists will stay in the Arctic for nearly a year to do in-depth research on global warming and climate change.
The Polarstern icebreaker , belonging to Germany’s Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, set sail for the North Pole on September 20, carrying about 100 scientists from 19 countries around the world, on a mission lasting one year. year for the purpose of climate change research. This is the largest polar expedition ever with a cost of up to 155 million USD.
The Polarstern departed from Tromso, Norway on Friday. (Photo: Rappler).
The Polarstern departs from the port city of Tromso, northern Norway. According to the plan, the ship will anchor on a giant iceberg when it reaches the North Pole, then drift for nearly a year through the central polar region, where the ice around it is at least 1.5 meters thick. winter.
During the expedition, scientists will focus on studying the atmosphere, oceans, sea ice, ecosystems and natural processes in the Arctic. The data collected will be used to build models of climate change that is affecting the polar regions as well as around the world.
“Over the past decades, no region on Earth has warmed as quickly as the Arctic,” said atmospheric scientist Markus Rex, who led the research team. “Earlier this year, we found that the temperature in the center of the Arctic was even warmer than in Germany. It is almost the epicenter of global warming, but so far, we know very little about it. “Without a reliable forecast of the Arctic, we will not be able to accurately predict global climate change.”