Polarstern embarks on 27th Arctic expedition

Hydro International -

The research vessel Polarstern left Bremerhaven on 14 June 2012, heading for the Arctic.

44 expedition participants from institutions from Germany, Belgium, USA and the United Kingdom will spend around one month at sea.

Their main study area is the Fram Strait between Spitsbergen and Greenland where they will conduct long-term oceanographic measurements.

At the end of June, the second part of the expedition will travel to the “AWI Hausgarten” for two weeks with a biological focus.

In August, the research icebreaker will then travel to the Central Arctic after which it is expected back in Bremerhaven at the beginning of October.

The Fram Strait is the only deep sea water connection between the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic.

How much water is exchanged between these two seas and what heat and salt transport is associated with this ?

How is the water in the Arctic Ocean altered which flows in the East to the North and in the West to the South ?

Which masses of water flow how quickly through the Fram Strait? To record these basic parameters, temperature, salinity and oxygen content are determined precisely with sensitive sensors.

Dr. Agnieszka Beszczynska-Möller, oceanographer at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association, will be leading this first part of the expedition.

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