The oceans and the atmosphere are inextricably connected. Their interaction determines how the climate on our planet develops. We need first-class research to understand how strongly the oceans influence the global climate, especially where extreme conditions prevail: in the oceans and at the poles.
Germany is playing a leading role here. Its institutes rank among the world leaders in marine and polar research. The Alfred Wegener Institute, which made scientific history with the largest Arctic expedition of all time in the international MOSAiC Expedition (Multidisciplinary Drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate) is especially well known.
A year in the arctic: unraveling the complex web of the climate
The German research icebreaker Polarstern spent an entire year drifting in the pack ice of the Arctic Ocean. More than 300 scientists from 17 countries investigated the Arctic in greater detail than ever before. They wanted to understand the manifestations of climate change in this sensitive region. The initial analyses show how closely the processes in the atmosphere, snow, sea ice and ocean are interwoven, and how important it is to consider them as a whole.
The data collected in this expedition will keep researchers around the world busy for many years to come, and will have a lasting effect on our knowledge of the climate system.
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