A team of scientists and polar explorers from the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) has set off to the Arctic as part of the drifting polar expedition "North Pole-42". The research vessel "North Pole", which is the world's only ice-resistant platform, departed from the port of Murmansk on September 15.
The vessel is heading to the New Siberian Islands region, to the starting point of the drift. There, according to AARI, a reliable ice floe will be selected in early October, with which the vessel will drift for many months.
Currently, specialists from the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute are observing several ice floes suitable for accommodating a scientific camp. The final choice will be made directly on site. The research vessel "North Pole" will be moored to the selected ice floe, "frozen" into the ice, and will continue to move along with the ice mass.
Scientists will conduct a comprehensive study of the Arctic in the "atmosphere — ice cover — ocean" system. The vessel's capabilities allow organizing scientific work at the highest technological level: immersing instruments to any depth in the Arctic Ocean, using satellites and unmanned vehicles.
After drifting freely through the entire circumpolar region, the expedition will complete its work by exiting into open water in the Fram Strait or in the strait between the Spitsbergen archipelago and the Franz Josef Land archipelago. The vessel is expected to return home only in 2026.
During this time, scientists will conduct fundamental research on the natural environment, which is necessary to understand the processes of global climate change, collect important data for the development of navigation on the Northern Sea Route, and clarify the boundaries of the continental shelf of the Russian Federation.