In this video, Drs. Anne Gold and Matthew Shupe welcome viewers to the series "Frozen in the Ice: Exploring the Arctic".

Explore the Arctic’s geography, geopolitics, climate system, and history of exploration through expert insights and the groundbreaking MOSAiC Expedition, including its connection to the historic Fram Expedition, in this introductory course module.

In this lesson, Dr. Mark Serreze describes the Arctic as a highly varied environment undergoing some rapid changes. You'll learn that MOSAiC seeks to answer the questions: Why is the Arctic changing, and where are we headed?

In this lesson, Dr. Sandy Starkweather discusses geopolitics concerning the "Arctic Eight" nations and the six indigenous peoples organizations that make up the Arctic Council.

In this lesson, Dr. Matthew Shupe broadly defines MOSAiC. From the very first expedition of Fridtjof Nansen to present day, Arctic research remains at the forefront of environmental science and developments in our world's changing climate.

In this lesson, Jonathan Griffith tells the story of Fridtjof Nansen's trailblazing journey through the Arctic in the 1893 Fram Expedition.

In this module, you will learn about the basic physics of the atmosphere with a specific focus on the Arctic. We will explore Earth’s energy budget and look at the structure of the atmosphere. Arctic clouds are an important player in the Arctic atmosphere and their role will be part of one video lecture. Finally, we will introduce you to the concept of feedbacks, systems responses that modulate the climate system and are the basis for connections to the lower latitudes. The module concludes with an overview of the goals of the MOSAiC Atmosphere research group and the data they are collecting.

Learning Objectives

• Explain Earth’s energy budget and the role that gases play in the atmosphere
• Describe the structure of the atmosphere with a specific focus on the Arctic
• Explain feedback effects and their effect on the climate system
• Describe how the MOSAiC team studies the Arctic atmosphere

In this lesson, Dr. John Cassano describes the role of the Arctic in the Earth's energy budget and climate system.

In this lesson, Dr. Chris Cox will teach you about Earth's atmosphere. You'll learn about its chemical composition, temperature structure, energy fluxes, and how MOSAiC scientists measure the atmosphere's energy budget.

In this lesson, Dr. Matthew Shupe explains the significance of clouds in the Arctic system and how they play important roles in precipitation, energy transfer, and climate modeling.

In this lesson, Drs. Jennifer Kay and Ariel Morrison introduce positive and negative albedo feedbacks that are important to the Arctic climate system (and polar bears!).

In this lesson, Dr. Matthew Shupe breaks down the work of MOSAiC's atmosphere team.  Following team goals and using such tools as lasers, radar technology, and weather balloons, scientists can better understand the Arctic system (air, ice, and sea) as a whole.

Watch this video about sea ice floe movement around the Polarstern. Credit: DLR, TSX/TDX AO: suman_OCE3562

In this module, we will take you on a tour of the Arctic Ocean. We will explore topics like ocean circulation and ocean stratification with a specific focus on processes that are happening in the Arctic. You will begin to draw connections to the coupling of the atmosphere, ocean, and sea ice and explore the chemistry of the ocean, nutrient distribution, and ocean productivity. The module concludes with an overview of the goals of the MOSAiC Ocean research group and the data they are collecting.

Learning Objectives

• Describe wind- and buoyancy-driven circulation in the Arctic Ocean and connections between Arctic Ocean circulation and climate change
• Explain the coupling of the ocean with the atmosphere and sea ice
• Understand how ocean productivity is related to chemistry and nutrient distribution
• Describe how the MOSAiC team studies the Arctic Ocean

In this lesson, Dr. Bill Shaw will teach you about ocean circulation driven by wind patterns and buoyancy.

In this lesson, Tim Stanton discusses the role of ocean stratification in controlling the way heat interacts with sea ice in the Arctic.

In this lesson, Tim Stanton talks about the relationship between the ocean and atmosphere in the Arctic. You'll also learn how the presence or absence of ice can affect ocean currents, vertical heat transport, solar radiation, and albedo feedback.

In this lesson, Dr. Allison Fong introduces you to nutrient biogeochemistry in the Arctic Ocean. You'll learn about nutrient distribution and how it influences primary production.

In this lesson, Dr. Allison Fong discusses Arctic ice melt and what this means for the surrounding biological environment. You'll ponder the question: Will the Arctic be net primary productive or will it ultimately be a source of carbon?

In this lesson, Dr. Benjamin Rabe talk about the MOSAiC expedition as a whole and what kinds of things scientists will be studying. From observing tiny microorganisms to larger weather patterns, MOSAiC aims to better understand the Arctic system and how it affects change on a global scale.

In this module, you will learn about sea ice and the important role it plays in the Arctic climate system. We will discuss how sea ice forms, how sea ice interacts with sunlight, and how sea ice moves and behaves. We will also explore the change in sea ice thickness and distribution in the Arctic over time and in response to a changing climate. The module concludes with an overview of the goals of the MOSAiC Sea Ice research group and the data they are collecting.

Learning Objectives

• Describe sea ice formation and the role of snow on sea ice
• Understand important optical properties of sea ice
• Explain sea ice dynamics - how sea ice moves and behaves
• Discuss changes in sea ice extent and thickness over time and in response to a changing climate
• Describe how the MOSAiC team studies Arctic sea ice.
   

In this lesson, Dr. Julienne Stroeve explains her research with MOSAiC in studying Arctic sea ice thickness. Using 40 years of satellite observations, she can track how quickly sea ice volume is declining.

In this lesson, Dr. Melinda Webster explains sea ice formation. You'll learn about its role in driving ocean circulation, different shapes the ice can take on, and what affects sea ice growth vs. reduction.

In this lesson, Dr. Bonnie Light adds new meaning to her name! You'll learn about sunlight's vital role in the Arctic system — specifically, how it affects melting in the summer and how different albedos play into this.

In this lesson, Dr. Jennifer Hutchings describes Arctic sea ice dynamics and how ridges and leads form during the transpolar drift.

In this lesson, Dr. Jennifer Hutchings defines sea ice kinetics. Throughout the MOSAiC expedition, scientists will be monitoring the kinematics of ice motion and determining the forces involved in opening, shearing, and closing sea ice.

In this lesson, Dr. Donald Perovich discusses sea ice mass balance. You'll learn about the data collection tools used by MOSAiC scientists including stakes, temperature strings, and autonomous buoys that measure Arctic ice melt and growth through the seasons.

In this lesson, Dr. Marcel Nicolaus describes his role as MOSAiC's sea ice team leader and why their work is so crucial to the expedition. In studying sea ice, snow, and microorganism habitats, the team hopes to improve Arctic forecasts and better understand how drifting patterns/processes interact.

Daily radar images capture sea ice movement and deformation in the region around the Polarstern (credit: Jari Haapala)

In this module, you will learn about the ecosystems of the Arctic Ocean. We will briefly explore the megafauna, such as polar bears, but then focus the exploration on the importance of the microfauna, such as algae and plankton, and their connections to oceanic nutrient cycles and atmospheric phenomena. The module concludes with an overview of the goals of the MOSAiC Biogeochemistry and Ecosystems research group and the data they are collecting.

Learning Objectives

• Explain the Arctic Ecosystem and food chains in the Arctic Ocean
• Discuss the importance of seasonality with respect to photosynthesis and the carbon cycle
• Describe what lives in sea ice and how life adapts to the Arctic environment
• Explain the role that aerosols play in the Arctic climate system
• Describe how the MOSAiC team studies Arctic ecosystems and biogeochemistry in the Arctic system

In this lesson, Dr. Carin Ashjihan will introduce you to Arctic marine life by highlighting important organisms in the food chain. She'll take you through a 4-step process to answer the question: How can we protect, conserve, and manage Arctic ecosystems in the future?

In this lesson, Dr. Jeff Bowman will teach you about metabolic challenges and opportunities present for organisms living in Arctic sea ice.

In this lesson, Dr. Jeff Bowman touches on differences between the adaptive strategies of warm vs. cold-bodied organisms. You'll learn about homeostasis and thermal equilibrium as they relate to the harsh Arctic environment.

In this lesson, Dr. Hauke Flores describes sea ice as an important driver in Arctic food webs. You'll learn about the serious threats climate change poses to biodiversity and key species dependent on ice cover.

In this lesson, Dr. Clara Hoppe sheds light on the small but mighty phytoplankton! You'll learn about MOSAiC's special interest in primary production, carbon export, and groundbreaking data scientists expect to glean from the expedition.

In this lesson, Dr. Jessie Creamean discusses how aerosols affect clouds and precipitation in the atmosphere and why they're important to the Arctic.

In this lesson, Dr. Brice Loose covers the topics of microbial carbon cycling and ocean circulation. He poses the question: What happens to ecosystems and to ocean biogeochemical cycles in the new Arctic?

Listen to the conversation with MOSAiC scientist Jessie Creamean about her work.

In this module, you will dive into the world of climate modeling. You will learn from MOSAiC researchers what the different modeling approaches are, what we can learn from models, and how we can use field data from expeditions like MOSAiC to improve model forecasts. The module concludes with an overview of the goals of the MOSAiC Modeling research group and the data they are collecting.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the importance of models on our understanding of weather and climate
• Explain the difference between short term forecasting models, regional models and climate models
• Describe how data collected during the MOSAiC expedition will benefit climate models

In this lesson, Dr. Gunilla Svensson explains how important Earth system models  are to understanding where both global and Arctic climate systems are headed. You'll also learn about the key role MOSAiC's modeling team plays in the expedition.

In this lesson, Dr. Amy Solomon will teach you about her role in MOSAiC in coordinating international forecasting efforts. Data collected in the Arctic during the expedition form the basis of more accurate regional and global models in the future.

In this lesson, Dr. Wieslaw Maslowski explains the process of formulating regional models of the Arctic. You'll learn about the relative benefits of such models compared to those at the global scale.

In this lesson, Dr. Marika Holland will teach you about climate models. She also asks the question: How will climate extremes and environmental changes in the Arctic reverberate around the world?

In this lesson, Dr. Amy Solomon defines process modeling as an iterative process between observations and theory. You'll learn with specific examples how scientists in both the SHEBA and MOSAiC expeditions move through this process in their work.

Learn more about the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Year of Polar Predictions effort in this video that describes how the work will improve predictions of weather, climate and ice conditions in the Arctic and Antarctic. MOSAiC scientists work closely with Year of Polar Predictions (YOPP).

In this lesson, Drs. Anne Gold and Matthew Shupe quickly overview Module 7: Challenges in the Arctic.

In this lesson, Dr. John Walsh discusses how climate change is apparent throughout the Arctic (air, land, ice, and ocean) and that these changes are already impacting humans, wildlife, and the environment.

In this lesson, Dr. James Overland discusses how sea ice loss can cause major changes in the Arctic climate — and more specifically, in the polar jet stream.

In this lesson, Dr. Scott Stephenson focuses on the link between climate change and human activities. You'll learn how melting sea ice contributes to economic transformation of the Arctic.

In this lesson, Dr. Katrin Vorkamp describes the Arctic as a recipient of global pollution. You'll learn how man-made pollutants contaminate sea ice and the food chains Arctic communities rely on and how governing bodies tackle the issue.

In this lesson, Dr. Jessica Cross discusses ocean acidification and the dangers it poses to areas like marine life and food security. She'll also teach you about steps communities can take to better understand and face the challenge of climate change.

In this lesson, Kaare Sikuaq Erickson discusses the Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation (UIC) and its role in nearly twenty-five thousand research sites in/around Barrow, Alaska. You'll also learn about Arctic indigenous populations that live in areas affected by climate change.

In this lesson, Alysa McCall and Dr. Steve Amstrup talk all things polar bear! You'll learn how climate change affects them and hear from Trude Hohle about their role in the MOSAiC expedition.

In this video, Drs. Anne Gold and Matthew Shupe conclude the series "Frozen in the Ice: Exploring the Arctic" with a summary of the course's major lessons.