The expedition will target the North-Atlantic sector of the ice-covered Arctic Ocean, relatively far north of the ice edge. The purpose is to get to the areas where warm and moist air from the south penetrates the Arctic and affects the sea ice melting. The aim is to understand this interaction between the lower latitudes and the Arctic and what happens at the onset of the annual surface melt, a central issue for many Arctic scientific disciplines.

With specialized weather forecasts, I/B Oden will navigate to positions where atmospheric rivers are expected to occur, and detailed observations can be made when the warm and moist air arrives. While stationary, the ship will point into the main wind, with limitations in operations at the foredeck and front of the ship due to the planned clean air sampling. Observations taken in-between events will provide a baseline. Most observations will be performed from onboard the ship with possibilities for shorter ice-based observations, both while stationary waiting for an atmospheric river to arrive and by helicopter during transits.

Research areas of the Early Career Scientist Program

The Early Career Scientist program will be an educational initiative where early career scientists will get experience from different types of scientific projects, and training on scientific communication, and there will be lectures given onboard from all projects involved in the expedition.  The Early Career Scientist program will be based on a Work Package focusing on the upper ocean led by Julia Muchowski from Stockholm University. This physical oceanography program aims at characterizing the upper ocean and will be closely coordinated with the rest of the expedition. Knowledge of the ocean surface, its temperature and stratification, is important to estimate the transport of heat between the ocean and the atmosphere and to understand and model ice conditions.

Apply before 10 February 2023.

Read more about the programme and how you apply on the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat's website.