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73Focus temperature DriftStory 08 DriftStory 08 Miss Piggy is the name that the AWI’s atmospheric researchers have given to this orange tethered balloon, which can rise to heights of up to

95Focus ice DriftStory 10 How alike the two pictures are: as AWI sea-ice physicist Dr Thomas Krumpen flies over the scattered remains of what was once the MOSAiC floe and many of its neighbouring f

In spring, a variety of algal blooms colour the waters of the Arctic Chukchi Sea. The inflow of cold, nutrient-rich water from the Bering Sea provides the phytoplankton with idea conditions f

27Focus satellite observation DriftStory 02 DriftStory 02 Satellite observation is the only way to effectively monitor the Arctic sea ice on a broad scale. Yet this approach still has its fair s

Roughly two years ago, on 4 October 2019, the research icebreaker Polarstern, operated by the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, allowed herself to become frozen

After a two-year break, this year experts from the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) were able to return to Station Nord in northeast Greenland, to resume

In September, the summer sea-ice melting ends in the Arctic. In other words, on a certain day of the month, the sea-ice cover reaches its lowest extent for the year and then begins growing again, beca

Sea ice is one of the most important components in the Arctic climate system. It is in a state of constant interchange with the atmosphere and the ocean, and its physical characteristics, especially i

An analysis of the first yearly datasets yielded surprising insights into the role of sea ice for life in polar waters. Depending on where and how quickly the sea ice melts, the species makeup and the