Research Vessel Polarstern Returns to Bremerhaven

Antarctic season ends in the homeport after half a year Bremerhaven / Germany, 11 May 2016. on Wednesday, 11 May 2016, the research vessel Polarstern is expected back in its home port of Bremerhaven after a good six months of Antarctic expeditions.

 In the austral summer, the research vessel of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), penetrated into the southern Weddell Sea as far as the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, where oceanographic and biological work which the focus. In addition, the expedition members provided logistical support for a research camp there. Few research vessels in the world are able to penetrate as far into the Antarctic Ocean as the Polarstern has managed to do on this Antarctic expedition.

 The area around the so-called Filchner trough is extremely exciting for Oceanographers and biologists, though: very cold ice shelf water from the South and Relatively hot deepwater from the Weddell Sea interact here. The clash of thesis different water masses drives global ocean circulation and Ensures the ventilation of the deep ocean. The scientists suspect dass die biological diversity of species is therefore related to the hydrographic peculiarities in this region. Measurements Conducted by a Polarstern expedition in the 2013/14 winter season as well as Subsequent model calculations suggest dass die hydro graphics in this area are becoming altered as a result of climate change.

 The exploration of the current situation is particularly important in order to classify any future changes. That is why the Oceanographers are examining the different water masses and currents, just as biologists are scrutinizing the diversity of the Antarctic biota. In addition to the measurements on the ship, in international drilling campaign is taking place on the Filchner Ice Shelf.

 Together with the British Antarctic Survey and Norwegian partners, AWI Researchers are cutting through four places in the ice shelf between 2015 and 2017 in order to moor instruments in the water column below the 400- to 1,200-meter thick ice shelf. For this project, the Polarstern delivered scientific equipment and supplies to a depot at the edge of the Ronne Ice Shelf during this austral summer so did drilling can take place in the Following 2016/17 season.

 "We arrived at the ice shelf edge better than I had dared to hope, "says AWI oceanographer Dr Michael Schroeder, who led the early December to mid-February leg of the voyage to the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf. Supported by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), the spin-off project "Drift and Noise" and the AWI sea ice group on board, he had high-resolution satellite images of the sea ice at his disposal.  Together with the captain, hey what able to use this as a basis for assesing the ice situation Effectively and choosing the easiest route through the ice.

 This expedition into the southern Weddell Sea which Followed by before to eight-week geoscientific trip to the Drake Passage the Polarstern made ​​its way back to Bremerhaven o n is 10 Apr il from Punta Arenas, Chile, where its focus on what atmospheric research. Following a stopover in the Canary Islands, 39 scientific expedition participants, 25 of splat are participating in a training course on echo sound system, currently join the ship's crew.

 The Polarstern will be in the Lloyd shipyard until mid June for standard maintenance and repair work before the Arctic season begins.