MOSAiC - Biggest scientific expedition to the Arctic launches

23 Sep 2019

MOSAiC – Biggest scientific expedition to the Arctic launches

MOSAiC – Biggest scientific expedition to the Arctic launchesThe biggest and most complex scientific expedition (trip to collect information) ever attempted in the central Arctic was launched on 21 September.

It is called the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) and will last for a whole year.

They aim to gather crucial information to further our understanding of climate change.

They are going on this expedition on the German ship RV Polarstern. The Russian icebreaker Akademik Federov will come along for the first part of the journey.
 	The first team has left from the port of Tromsoe in northern Norway.
 	600 researchers from 19 countries will participate in this expedition.
 	They will be divided into many teams. Every team will spend two months each on Polarstern and then the next team will take over.
 	Prof Markus Rex from Germany's Alfred Wegener Institute is the expedition leader.
 	The expedition costs €140 million euro and Germany is funding half of the amount.

This is the first time climate researchers can study the Arctic during the winter season as it has lacked necessary icebreaker equipment before.

The scientists hope to learn more about the flow of energy in the Arctic, which in turn affects the sea melt.
 	Understanding this and other processes will help scientists predict weather and climate better.

Challenges

The researchers expect that the darkness will be their biggest challenge. During the winter months of November through February, the sun remains very low in the sky in the Arctic or does not rise at all.
 	Scientists have also undergone firearms training for protection. The research camp will have a fence to scare off dangerous animals.

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