The participants were transported by a helicopter to a site located on latitude 81 North. From there, they covered 9.4 kilometers in the direction of the North Pole on Saturday. The ice and weather conditions on the route are favorable. The temperature is about 27 degrees Celsius below zero.
During the expedition, its participants plan to conduct scientific research 1-2 hours every day. In particular, they intend to map the conditions of ice and snow cover on the route.
They also plan to set up three automated meteorological modules on various stretches of the route. Institutes cooperating in the framework of International Arctic Buoy program, including the Institute of Arctic and Antarctic in St. Petersburg, will receive from these stations information on a regular basis.
On the basis of data received from the stations, scientists will be able to study in particular the impact of winds, ocean currents and temperature changes on the condition of ice fields.
In addition, the participants of the ski expedition toward the North Pole plan to find additional evidence of the impact of greenhouse gases on climate changes and therefore convince the global community to intensify the discussion of the ways of countering this negative effect.
