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Press + Background Info
Introduction
On this page you can find press releases, announcements and background information on the Arctic Coring Expedition (ACEX).
If you are looking for personal contacts please klick here.
Press review
Media in almost 30 countries reported about the Arctic Coring Expedition. The magazine Science published an article on September 17th, only few days after the expedtion had been finished (please click):
Sings of a Warm, Ice-Free Arctic
A look from above. The ice-breaker fleet seen from an altitude of 11.000 feet.
Press releases
November 16th, 2004
Deciphering Arctic climate puzzles –
New findings from the Arctic Coring Expedition
An international team of scientists is currently evaluating sediment cores collected during the Arctic Coring Expedition, ACEX, conducted under the auspices of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP). ACEX , conducted in August and September this year, is an exploration success story. At a press conference in the University of Bremen, Germany, today (16 November 2004) the co-chief scientists of the expedition described the first results from this expedition.
Scientists from ten countries gathered in Bremen over the last two weeks. They analyzed sediment cores from 430 metres beneath the Arctic Ocean sea-floor. These cores reveal new insights into the past climate of the Arctic. Preliminary results show that the ACEX recovered the first ever climate record of the Arctic Ocean over the past 56 million years. Co-chief scientists Kate Moran, University of Rhode Island, and Jan Backman, Stockholm University, described key findings.
The Arctic Ocean was frozen much earlier than previoulsy thought. Professor Moran said that “we are trying to define the exact time when ice appeared but it seems clear that perennial ice existed as early as 15 million years ago”. Professor Jan Backman added that these results would become more precise over the next few months and “we have cores that will hopefully allow us to distinguish between seasonal (winter only) ice and perennial ice”.
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Full text englisch press release of November 16th, 2004
6 September 2004
Subtropical Arctic
The North Pole, synonymous with all things very cold, once had a subtropical climate according to scientists now returning from the Arctic.
The international scientific team, taking part in the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program's Arctic Coring Expedition, has just discovered that the Arctic Ocean once was ice-free because of prehistoric global warming.
The scientific team from eight nations recovered sediment cores from nearly 400 metres below the seafloor, in waters 1300 metres deep. "The early history of the Arctic Basin will be re-evaluated based on the scientific results collected on this expedition," says Professor Jan Backman, Stockholm University, one of the co-chief scientists.
View the complete press release
Background information
A variety of background information is available:
1 The official brochure of the Arctic Coring Expedition can be easily dwonloaded here:
Popular expedition brochure
2. The Science Plan of the Arctic Expedition can be downloaded. Please click the icon below:
Scientific Prospectus
3. The Joint Oceanographic Institutions published two brochures containing interesting highlights from the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP), the forerunner program of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP). These brochures can be downloaded here:
Brochure "ODP`s Greatest Hits"
Brochure ODP-Highlights
4. The Russian Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute has information available on currents, weather, and ice conditions in the Arctic Seas .
General distribution of Arctic sea ice can also be studied on the ice maps at Bremen University.
Photo gallery
More photos will be available soon. Please click to enlarge. For high resolution pictures pleas see Contact.
Prof. Kate Moran and Prof. Jan Backmann, scientific leaders of the Arctic Coring Expedition.
The Swedish icebreaker ODEN
The Norwegian icebreaker VIDAR VIKING
The Russian icebreaker SOVETSKY SOYUZ