Climate change scientists waiting for 'all clear' to restart Arctic research mission

Due to the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, dozens of scientists are waiting in quarantine for the ‘all-clear’ to join the Arctic research mission. According to an international media report, the international mission was called off as countries went into lockdown and shattered the plans to bring fresh supplies and crew to the German research vessel Polarstern. The mission was aimed at improving the models used for forecasting climate change, however, the plan was affected just as the expedition reached a crucial phase. 

While speaking to an international media outlet, Mathew Shupe, who is an atmospheric scientist at the University of Colorado and co-leader of the MOSAiC expedition, said that the news of the pandemic caused jitters among those already on board. He added that several people just wanted to be home with their families. He further informed that almost 90 scientists and crew had also been kept in isolation to ensure they were virus-free. 

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‘Important transition’

While organisers at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Ocean Research reportedly managed to fly out a handful of people via Canada last month, rest of the crew will now be exchanged with the help of two other German research ships that will meet the Polarstern on the sea ice edge. Shupe said that the ‘upcoming rendezvous’ will force the Polarstern to abandon its current position for three weeks at a critical time in the Arctic cycle. 

Shupe said, “We are on the cusp right now of the onset of the sea ice melt season and that’s a really important transition. That could happen when the ship is gone. It’s a distinct risk we face”. 

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However, he also said that to avoid out on key data. Researchers will also leave some instruments behind to measure atmospheric measurements and hope that they are still there when they return. Shupe said that the ice could come together and destroy everything, but to record the data, the scientists can just hope that nothing happens. 

Furthermore, Scientists, however, also believe that the coronavirus pandemic could make people see and understand that climate problem. Shupe believes that the intense interest in research about the virus could have a positive knock-on effect for fields such as climate science. Although the researchers on MOSAiC are hoping to deal with one problem at a time, hence they are taking strict quarantine measures to avoid any chance of carrying the Viru into the Arctic. 

(Image/ Inputs: AP)

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