Frozen in the Ice: Exploring the Arctic
A self-paced, free, online course “Frozen in the Ice: Exploring the Arctic” is about the extraordinary MOSAiC Arctic research mission that has frozen an icebreaker into the Arctic Ocean for 13 months.
Why would hundreds of scientists from around the world intentionally freeze a ship in Arctic sea ice for an entire year, braving subzero temperatures and months of polar darkness? This may sound like a fictional adventure movie plot, but from September 2019 through October 2020, the MOSAiC (Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate) Arctic research expedition did just this.
In this course, you’ll hear directly from MOSAiC scientists and Arctic experts as they describe why this expedition is so key for increasing our understanding of the Arctic and global climate systems and what kinds of data they will be collecting during MOSAiC on the ice, under the sea, and in the air. The course kicks off with content around Arctic geography, climate, and exploration history, and then walks learners through the basics of the components of the Arctic system: atmosphere, ocean, sea ice and ecosystems. You will also learn how the data collected during MOSAiC will be used to improve climate model projections. Finally, we will wrap up the course by exploring challenges the new Arctic faces, including how indigenous peoples in the Arctic are being impacted in different ways by a changing Arctic environment.
- As virtual participants of the MOSAiC expedition, learners will explore all components of the Arctic climate system and how they are interconnected.
- Explore what climate science is, what data scientists collect in the Arctic, and how their findings inform our understanding of weather and climate
- Discuss the critical challenges the Arctic faces under a changing climate and how these changes impact our lives in the mid-latitudes
This 7-module course is designed for beginners with no prior experience needed.
