Trapped in Ice

Temperatures near the North Pole can plunge to a chilling -40°C (-40°F) in the winter. Ships usually steer clear of the Arctic Ocean during this time to avoid getting stuck in ice. 

But in October 2019, a team of researchers did just the opposite! They sailed their ship, the Polarstern, into an ice floe. Then they shut off the engines and waited. After a few weeks, the ship was frozen in a new ice sheet. Over the next year, the scientists collected all kinds of data about the Arctic.

Researchers typically work in the Arctic during the summer, when conditions are less harsh. “We know so little about what’s happening in the winter,” says Céline Heuzé. She’s a researcher at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden who helped plan the Polarstern expedition. Information about winter in the Arctic is key to understanding the effects of climate change. 

Earth’s average temperature has been rising. The Arctic is warming more than twice as fast as the rest of the planet. Data gathered by scientists on the Polarstern will help reveal how climate change is affecting the Arctic—and the whole world.

The North Pole is a cold place. It can reach a chilling -40°C (-40°F) in the winter. Ships usually steer clear of the Arctic Ocean during this time. That’s so they don’t get stuck in the ice-covered waters.

But in October 2019, a team of scientists did the opposite! They were on a ship called the Polarstern. They sailed it into an ice floe. Then they shut off the engines. They waited for the ship to freeze into the ice. The scientists spent a year there. They collected all kinds of data about the Arctic.

Scientists usually work in the Arctic during the summer. Then conditions are less harsh. “We know so little about what’s happening in the winter,” says Céline Heuzé. She’s a scientist. She works at the University of Gothenburg. It’s in Sweden. She helped plan the Polarstern trip. Winter data is key to learning about climate change in the Arctic.

Earth’s average temperature is rising. The Arctic is warming more than twice as fast as the rest of the world. The Polarstern trip will help show how warmer weather is affecting the Arctic. Changes there can impact the whole planet.  

Once the Polarstern was frozen in place, the scientists got to work. They traveled by sled, snowmobile, and helicopter up to 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the ship to collect data about the environment.

Heuzé’s team drilled holes in the ice to lower devices into the water. The devices collected samples of water so scientists could study what creatures live there. The probes also measured the water’s temperature, speed, and direction to learn how ocean currents affect ice from below. Other scientists used balloons and drones to study how clouds affect the ice. 

The research wasn’t always easy. Storms created cracks in the ice, making it dangerous to walk on. Polar bears damaged devices by poking at them and chewing off cables. “A big paw can do a lot of damage really quickly,” says Matthew Shupe, a University of Colorado scientist who was on the ship. 

Scientists got to work once the Polarstern froze in place. They rode in sleds, snowmobiles, and a helicopter. They traveled up to 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the ship. There, they collected data.

Heuzé’s team drilled holes in the ice. They lowered devices into the water. They collected samples. Scientists used them to study creatures that live beneath the ice. The probes also measured the water’s temperature. It measured their speed and direction too. That can reveal how ocean currents affect ice from below. Other scientists used balloons and flying drones. Those devices studied how clouds affect the ice. 

The research wasn’t always easy. Storms created cracks in the ice. That made it dangerous to walk on. Polar bears damaged devices. The animals hit them and chewed off cables. “A big paw can do a lot of damage really quickly,” says Matthew Shupe. He’s a scientist at the University of Colorado. He was on the ship.

The team faced another challenge last spring. It was the Covid-19 pandemic. Countries limited travel to stop the virus’s spread. A plane carrying supplies and crew to the Polarstern was grounded. In April, research had to pause. The ship had to break through the ice to get supplies.