One year in the eternal ice – a milestone in climate research

EINGEFROREN AM NORDPOL
(Frozen at the North Pole)
by Markus Rex
C. Bertelsmann, November 2020

On the 20th September 2019 began the largest polar expedition of all time: The research vessel RV Polarstern set off from the port of Tromsø, Norway, to be frozen to the ice of the North Pole. Scientists from 20 countries have boarded to research the consequences of climate change for one whole year. Markus Rex, the head of this research expedition called MOSAiC, recounts in his book the story of this unique endeavour. He tells of everyday life in the extreme environment of the Arctic, of the challenges in terms of logistics and planning, and of the scientific findings that the researchers were able to gather. EINGEFROREN AM NORDPOL is not only the story of the largest research adventure ever but at the same time a vivid insight into the dramatic consequences of climate change.

Markus Rex is the head of atmospheric research at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Sea Research, and he is professor for atmospheric physics at the University of Potsdam. He had already joined numerous expeditions to the Arctic, Antarctica and other remote regions of the world to research the complex climatic processes that lead to at times dramatic climate changes. He heads the MOSAiC project, a unique research collaboration by 90 institutions from 20 countries.