Yesterday, 16 August at 20:46 UTC, the Swedish icebreaker Oden arrived at the North Pole for the tenth time. The first visit was made in 1991 when Oden was the first non-nuclear-powered ship to reach the North Pole together with the German research icebreaker Polarstern. Since then, Oden has been to the North Pole in 1996, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2016 and 2018.
Today, Chief Investigator Tobias Krantz submitted his final report on Swedish research infrastructure to Matilda Ernkrans, Minister of Higher Education and Research. Tobias Krantz has investigated how Swedish polar researchers' access to a polar-classified icebreaker can be secured in the future.
The research expedition Synoptic Arctic Survey, originally planned for 2020, had to be postponed due to the pandemic. Now, this year's expedition starts off by 38 researchers being quarantined at a hotel in Malmö on 16 July. Ten days later, the icebreaker Oden leaves Sweden to carry out measurements in one of the world's most difficult to access marine areas between Greenland and the North Pole.
Bacteria, and other small organisms without a cell nucleus, create conditions for life on our planet and assume art-like forms. This is something that fascinates Johan Wikner, professor of ecology at Umeå University, who is now preparing for the research expedition Synoptic Arctic Survey with the icebreaker Oden.
Weather balloons and meteorological measurements are in focus when Sonja Murto, PhD student at Stockholm University, participates in the research expedition Synoptic Arctic Survey.
This summer's polar expedition with the icebreaker Oden constitutes the Swedish contribution within the international research initiative Synoptic Arctic Survey, SAS. One of the researchers participating is Adam Ulfsbo at the University of Gothenburg and he is really looking forward to the expedition.
Anna Stiby, chemistry and biology teacher, was selected to participate in the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat's teacher program 2021. Now she has an intensive work period at Nacka gymnasium, but soon it's time to change the classroom to the icebreaker Oden and this summer's expedition to the Arctic Ocean.
