Sailing from Punta Arena, Chile is the Swedish Icebreaker Oden and the funding comes thanks to American interest group the National Science Foundation. The group is calling it the official kick off for the International Polar Year.
The IPY aims to group international science agencies together in an effort to understand more about one of the least-often studied areas of our globe. Now that Antarctica has become a bellwether for measuring climate change, scientists have renewed interest in understanding exactly what is going on there.
This first expedition of the IPY (which officially begins in Spring of 2007) will focus on literally breaking ground for other missions to follow, and on warming students up to polar science.
Oden will arrive at McMurdo Station - the U.S. base for Antarctic research - the day before Christmas. Then its task switches from toting scientists to breaking ice. The icebreaker will create and maintain a channel in the ice so other ships can get in to drop off new supplies, and new scientists.
Teachers along for the expedition will share their experience with students via the web. Their website, www.polartrec.com, will offer electronic journal filings of the Oden passengers. There will be some teleconferences viewable by the general public too, the first one taking place Dec. 20 at 1:00 p.m. EST.
Scientists aboard Oden seek to collect data rarely studied in the Antarctic. The ocean waters will be analyzed for their chemical properties and nutrient content, and some penguins will be observed as well.
