Polarstern route and ice drift

In September 2019, the German research icebreaker Polarstern has set sail from Tromsø, Norway, to spend a year drifting through the Arctic Ocean – trapped in ice. The goal of the MOSAiC expedition is to take the closest look ever at the Arctic as the epicentre of global warming and to gain fundamental insights that are key to better understand global climate change. Hundreds of researchers from 20 countries take part in this exceptional endeavour.

This animation shows Polarstern’s route and drift as well as the growth of the winter sea ice.