Researchers Embark on Arctic Ocean Expedition
A team made up of British scientists and explorers have set out on a journey to investigate rising sea levels in the Arctic Ocean, an arduous journey that will take them across more than 300 miles of sea ice in conditions that are expected to reach -100 degrees Fahrenheit after factoring for wind chill.
Leading the team will be Ann Daniels, a renowned explorer who was a member of the first all-female teams to reach both the North and South Poles. Daniels is currently serving as the head of ice-operations for the Catlin Arctic Survey, an international scientific mission for which this latest expedition is being conducted.
"The expedition focus is on ocean acidification which some scientists describe as the Earth’s ‘other carbon dioxide problem,’" said Daniels in a statement, according to a March 15 AFP article.
According to projections published in that article, scientists anticipate that oceanic pH levels could reach a record point by 2050, which would result in the water becoming corrosive to shelled organisms such as lobsters and oysters. The goal of the 2010 Catlin Survey is to study the acidity level of the arctic waters and conduct groundbreaking research to help scientists better understand this potential issue.
"Obviously when you are working in the high Arctic things don’t always go as planned, but we’re as ready as we’re going to be and now can’t wait to get out there!" Daniels said in pre-flight comments posted on the Catlin Arctic Survey’s official website. "For me, anything we can do to help scientists to better understand the world we live in is important."
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