Russian-American expedition sails to the Arctic – the goals and objectives of the mission – RSUTE

Today, on August 23 the ship “Akademik Treshnikov” go to the Arctic Russian-American scientific expedition. According to Tass, its purpose is to analyze the climate change in the area. It is noted that the ship hit the road at 12:00 MSK and will stay in the Arctic before the end of the next month of the year – in September. All this time, the press-service will gradually inform the public about the scientific expedition.

The Russian-American expedition, which will go from Arkhangelsk in the Arctic research vessel “Akademik Tryoshnikov” Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute Roshydromet, will research the changes in the atmosphere, the ice and the waters of the Arctic Ocean. According to the press service of the department, in the expedition also involved scientists from Germany, South Korea, UK, New Zealand and Poland.

This Arctic expedition takes place in the second phase of works on the program of long-term monitoring of the state of water basins Nansen and Amundsen and (Nansen Amundsen Basins Observation System – NABOS). Russian scientists have called the program AVLAP (Atlantic waters in the Laptev Sea). The project AVLAP / NABOS were nachatyesche in 2002. Their first phase lasted until 2009. During this period, scientists have found 29 submerged buoy stations, of which raise the surface was only 17. The rest were lost or understand them was not possible.

Four years later, the project AVLAP / NABOS was renewed for the period from 2013 to 2018. While held in August-September 2015 expedition scientists plan to raise the measuring buoy stations installed in 2013, and set a model in the areas of eleven stations, measuring devices that will record changes in temperature, salinity, current speed and direction. Measuring stations plan to install along the border of the continental slope.

In addition to the parameters of the aquatic environment, scientists plan to fix the meteorological parameters drive of the atmosphere, which in the water and on the surface of the pack ice will be installed respective meteoizmeriteli.

Work carried out under the project of Russian-American scientific cooperation in the field of hydro-meteorology, hydrology, oceanography, a memorandum which was signed between the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet) and the National Administration for oceans and atmosphere (NOAA) US Department of Commerce in 2005 year.
Tracking seasonal and interannual variability of biochemical and hydrological indicators of water regime, the researchers plan to find out what role the process of transformation of the Atlantic water has on the formation of the climate in the Arctic. Tracking chemical indicators of water and air environments, scientists will join the scientific knowledge of the global carbon cycle in the ocean and on its borders with the atmosphere and the lithosphere.

Recall biogeochemical carbon cycle – a cycle of the process is this element in the lithosphere, hydro- and atmosphere. Taknaprimer air in the earth’s mantle carbon is present as carbon monoxide and dioxide: carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane. In large part this element is reserved in the form of complex organic compounds, including living organisms. Even slight changes in the carbon cycle of our planet leads to strong changes in the earth image. By studying the geologic “Chronicle” researchers found that ice ages were characterized by a significant decrease in the concentration of CO2 and CH4 in the atmosphere.