Page 28 - aruba-today-20190921

A28 SCIENCE
Saturday 21 September 2019
Scientists prepare for year-long expedition to Arctic center1

BERLIN (AP) — Researchers Concerns about global
from more than a dozen warming have spread far
nations prepared Friday beyond the scientific com-
to launch the biggest and munity in recent years. The
most complex expedition expedition starts on the
ever attempted in the cen- same day as global cli-
tral Arctic — a yearlong mate protests and ahead
journey through the ice of a U.N. climate summit in
they hope will improve the New York next week.
scientific models that un- Rex, the expedition head,
derpin our understanding said the cooperation be-
of climate change. tween scientists from many
The 140-million euro ($158 different countries stands in
million) expedition will see contrast to the geostrate-
scientists from 19 coun- gic jostling that big powers
tries including Germany, have started engaging in
the United States, Britain, as the Arctic, with its un-
France, Russia and China tapped riches, begins to
work together in one of the open up to exploration.
most inhospitable regions He put the fact that Ger-
of the planet. many, hitherto a second-
"The Arctic is the epicenter league player in the Arctic,
of global climate change," is leading the expedition
said Markus Rex of Ger- down to the country's tech-
many's Alfred Wegener In- nical and logistical exper-
stitute for Polar and Ocean tise.
Research, who will lead the "We're doing it because we
expedition. "At the same can, and nobody else can
time the Arctic is the region In this Wednesday, July 3, 2019 file photo the German Arctic research vessel 'Polarstern' is docked do it," said Rex.
of the planet where we un- for maintenance in Bremerhaven, Germany. Anja Karliczek, the German
derstand the climate sys- Associated Press minister for science, said
tem least." that as a major industrial
Packed full of scientific are polar bears out there mally too thick for ships to that any disruption to the nation Germany needs to
equipment, the German is something that shouldn't reach the Central Arctic. Arctic's delicate cycle of shoulder part of the respon-
icebreaker RV Polarstern be underestimated," she Recording changes in the freeze-and-thaw will be felt sibility for tackling climate
will leave the port of Trom- told The Associated Press in density, size and type of further south, though it's still change, and financing half
soe in northern Norway ac- a telephone interview. snow will help scientists bet- not clear how. of the expedition's costs
companied by a Russian Scientists involved in the ter understand the flows of "The Arctic is changing was in the country's inter-
vessel to search for a suit- Multidisciplinary drifting Ob- energy in the Arctic. pretty dramatically right ests.
ably large floe on which to servatory for the Study of "For example, how much now and that's something Unlike Russia, China and
anchor and set up base. Arctic Climate, or MOSAiC light the snow reflects back we need to get into," said Sweden, which will also
As the days get shorter and for short, have undergone into the atmosphere, how Matthew Shupe, an atmo- be sending icebreakers to
the sea freezes around it, firearms training. The camp much it absorbs and how spheric scientist at the Uni- supply the expedition, the
the Polarstern will slowly will be also be secured by much light reaches the up- versity of Colorado who will United States won't be con-
drift off on its own toward a perimeter fence and fire- per ocean," said Arndt. "This take part in the expedition. tributing a vessel.
the North Pole while rotat- works to scare off prowling has big implications for the Recent changes in the "A U.S.-flagged ship would
ing teams of dozens of sci- predators. ecosystem." jet stream — a current of have been a nice addition
entists spend two months Arndt, who will join the mis- Energy from light affects air that circles and insu- to MOSAiC," said Shupe.
each conducting research sion in mid-February, said algae growth and ocean lates the Arctic like a giant "On the other hand I think
on the ice. the unique advantage of temperatures, which in turn thermos — have allowed that the U.S. is making ex-
Stefanie Arndt, a sea ice MOSAiC compared with influence how much sea warm, moist winds from low traordinary contributions,"
physicist who has been other expeditions is the ice melts from below. latitudes to move north. At he said, citing scientific
preparing for the expedi- fact that researchers will be Understanding these and the same time, chilly blasts and financial support from
tion for nine years, said able to observe processes other complex processes of Arctic air — the dread- American institutions such
darkness will be the biggest in the Arctic across an en- occurring in the Arctic is ed polar vortices — have as the National Science
challenge. tire seasonal cycle. essential for the increas- brought deep freeze con- Foundation, the Depart-
"Everyone worries about the "What's particularly inter- ingly sophisticated com- ditions to the continental ment of Energy, the Na-
cold but the psychological esting is the transition from puter models scientists use U.S. and Europe. tional Oceanic and Atmo-
aspect of not seeing any- winter to spring," she said, to predict weather and "A lot of this right now is a spheric Administration, and
thing and knowing there a time when the ice is nor- climate. Experts believe hot topic," said Shupe. NASA.q