MOSAiC Expedition

MOSAiC

Embark on the largest polar expedition in history: in September 2019, the German research icebreaker Polarstern set sail from Tromsø, Norway, to spend a year drifting through the Arctic Ocean - trapped in ice. The goal of the MOSAiC expedition was to take the closest look ever at the Arctic as the epicenter of global warming and to gain fundamental insights that are key to better understand global climate change. Hundreds of researchers from 20 countries were involved in this exceptional endeavour. Following in the footsteps of Fridtjof Nansen's ground-breaking expedition with his wooden sailing ship Fram in 1893-1896, the MOSAiC expedition brought a modern research icebreaker close to the north pole for a full year including for the first time in polar winter. The data gathered will be used by scientists around the globe to take climate research to a completely new level. Led by atmospheric scientist Markus Rex, and co-led by Klaus Dethloff and Matthew Shupe, MOSAiC is spearheaded by Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI).

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MOSAiC

Embark on the largest polar expedition in history: in September 2019, the German research icebreaker Polarstern will set sail from Tromsø, Norway, to spend a year drifting through the Arctic Ocean - trapped in ice.

See expedition

See science

The goal of the MOSAiC expedition is to take the closest look ever at the Arctic as the epicenter of global warming and to gain fundamental insights that are key to a better understanding of global climate change. Hundreds of researchers from 20 countries are involved in this exceptional endeavour. Following in the footsteps of Fridtjof Nansens ground-breaking expedition with his wooden sailing ship Fram in 1893-1896, the MOSAiC expedition will bring a modern research icebreaker close to the north pole for the first time in polar winter. The data gathered will be used by scientists around the globe to take climate and ecosystem research to a completely new level. Led by atmospheric scientist Markus Rex, and co-led by Klaus Dethloff and Matthew Shupe, MOSAiC is spearheaded by Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI).

May 21, 2019

May 21, 2019

Stories

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November 25, 2020

November 25, 2020

The Guardian

Two polar bears come sniffing in the Arctic night

Esther Horvath's best photograph

November 25, 2020

November 25, 2020

Nature

How Germany retains one of the world’s strongest research reputations

"Thanks to steady funding, Germany’s national research organizations are thriving."

November 19, 2020

November 19, 2020

Helmholtz.de

Polar bear guard and corona quarantine

"Behind the success of MOSAiC is a perfectly coordinated planning team.2

November 16, 2020

November 16, 2020

Süddeutsche Zeitung

Eine Welt verschwindet

"Faszinierend und erschreckend zugleich: Die Dokumentation "Expedition Arktis" zeigt den Nordpol, wie er noch nie vom Sofa aus zu sehen war - und wie er wohl bald endgültig Geschichte sein wird."

November 6, 2020