A floating station sails from France on a long mission to study the Arctic
It sailed Sunday from FranceA floating research station, resembling an aluminum igloo, is on a long-term mission in the The North Poleamidst the harshest and most challenging environmental conditions.
The shape of a station allows "Tara" Polar can withstand ice pressure and drift over a period of months in a continuous and controlled manner with floating ice blocks, with the aim of studying biodiversity and the effects of Climate change.
30 research centers
While the ship was built in France, about 30 research centers from 12 countries, including Germany, Canada, Spain, the United States, Switzerland and Japan, are participating in the mission.
Said Romain Troublet, Executive Director of the Foundation "Tara Ossian"that "The Arctic Ocean has been little studied, yet it is undergoing major changes, undergoing a radical transformation.".
He added "The environment cannot be understood if we spend only two months a year there"
The ship sailed from the port of Lorient in western France, in the presence of French Minister of Maritime Affairs Catherine Chapeau, amid the cheers of hundreds of people on the pier.
Floating laboratory
The floating laboratory, which takes the form of an igloo on top of a large buoy, is designed to withstand the pressure of sea ice and temperatures that drop to 52 degrees below zero.
Starting in mid-August, the station will move east. Along the Russian coast, where an icebreaker will pave the way for it.
The station is scheduled to drift after being surrounded by dense ice blocks by the beginning of September, at a rate of 10 kilometers per day, eventually reaching "Fram Strait" Between Greenland and Svalbard, by the end of 2027.
Ten missions
Ten such missions are scheduled to be carried out between 2026 and 2045, in a mission format every two years.
The ship will carry 12 people during the winter, including six scientists, and 18 people in the summer.
Using an opening in the ship’s hull and a wide range of on-board devices, the Scientists collected more than 10,000 samples of water, atmosphere and sea ice.
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