Mission: Arctic: A Scientific Adventure to a Changing North Pole

Translated from German, Mission: Arctic documents the largest scientific expedition ever undertaken in the Arctic. In the fall of 2019, scientists from all parts of the globe boarded the Polarstern, a research icebreaker, to embark on a year-long ice-drifting journey in order to collect data on changes in the region and how they impact the rest of the world. Though only about 100 people were on board at any given time, about 500 people took part in the expedition.

The book is divided into three main parts, the first of which provides general information about climate change and the Arctic’s direct impact on the Earth’s climate. It is estimated that the Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world; in summer, the Arctic ice takes up only half the area that it did 40 years ago. This first section also includes information about the history of ice-drifting, the comparison of clothing worn by researchers in 1894 to that of the high-tech gear worn by current-day researchers, and life on board an icebreaker. Here, readers will find a diagram of the Polarstern, indicating its various parts/rooms and their purpose, a group photograph of the team members and a brief explanation of their jobs, and daily schedules and safety rules for the team. Interesting logbook notes are also included.

In the second section, the focus is on the research and its components. Here, the author explains the difference between the “good” and the “bad” greenhouse effect, what a research camp looks like, the many types of sea ice and the properties of water that result in rising sea levels. Other topics include the complexity of clouds and their effect on the weather; atmospheric researchers’ study of winds; ocean currents and water stratification; garbage in the oceans; and the effects of light pollution. Some interesting facts are that acidification, caused by industrialization, not only causes the shells of ocean creatures to become thinner but also causes sea animals to behave differently (for instance, young clown fish lose their sense of smell while older clown fish get confused and swim toward their predators instead of away from them); and that garbage in the oceans has far-reaching effects (even in the deepest sea trench in the world- 6500 meters deep- a creature was found to have microplastics in its body).

The final section provides more logbook notes, a few statistics from the expedition (for example, 37 different nationalities were represented in the team; on some days, strong winds caused the Polarstern to drift up to 25 km; over 150 terabytes of data were collected) and speculation about the future of the Arctic. There are also several suggestions for readers of how changing their daily habits and activities can go a long way to slow climate change. Since the Earth’s climate system has been likened to a giant jigsaw puzzle, all of the pieces interconnected, it stands to reason that, if one piece is missing or changed, the puzzle will no longer fit together properly, resulting in a huge impact globally. Dire predictions for the future include more extreme weather, diseases and parasites, water shortages due to drought, flooded coastal cities, threat of the extinction of some animal and plant species, and crop shortages which can lead to famine and social crises.

Mission: Arctic contains a wealth of thoroughly-researched information and will appeal to readers who are interested in science and the environment. Though the target audience recommended by the publisher is from Grades 4-9, the complexity of some of the concepts might be difficult for the younger readers in the age range to comprehend. Text boxes supplement the main body of the text, and detailed information appears on some of the diagrams. Illustrations consist of photographs, drawings, maps and diagrams. A glossary with lengthy explanations is also included.

Part history, part documentary of a ground-breaking expedition and part cautionary tale, Mission: Arctic: A Scientific Adventure to a Changing North Pole serves as a wake-up call for humans to take action before it’s too late.