The Traverse Reaches the South Pole

Written by Anita Thorolvsen Munch, Journalist

Published: 21.01.2008

Fly Antarktis (Ingressbilde)

After two months in the ice fields, 12 scientists and technicians were carried by plane the last distance to the Amundsen-Scott station on the South Pole. The Norwegian - US Antarctic traverse has been a scientific success.

The expedition had to give up, some 350 kilometres from the pole point, due to mechanical problems with the transport vehicles. Scientifically speaking, however, the expedition was a success.

"This is a landmark in the International Polar Year, and a very ambitious project both in terms of logistics and research," said the head of the expedition, Jan-Gunnar Winther.

"We have managed to carry out practically all the research we had planned. We have more than 700 metres of ice core samples, which may provide data on 1000 years of climate changes." Winther hopes the answers will make it easier for climate researchers and for the UN Climate Panel to make better climate model scenarios for the next decennia both in Antarctica and the rest of the world.

Foto: Norsk Polarinstitutt
Norwegian Prime Minister at Troll
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg visited the Norwegian research station Troll in Antarctica on January 19 and 20, and a video conference was broadcasted from the South Pole with Jan Gunnar Winther and his team.

After two days on the Troll station, the Prime Minister said he had reached a better understanding of the work carried out by scientists here and of the climate changes threatening the continent.

"The results will provide invaluable knowledge on the climate development in this largely unexplored part of Antarctica, although it will take some time to analyse them. If the results show changes in precipitation and provides us with information about whether the ice shelves of Antarctica are increasing or decreasing, this will have a direct impact on the global sea level," Stoltenberg said following the video conference, according to the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten.

The second lap
Scientists from four nations took part in the expedition to investigate changes of the ice shelves in Queen Maud Land and to acquire knowledge on the role of Antarctica on the global climate. So far there has been little knowledge on the climate changes of Antarctica. Next season (2008-2009), the traverse is scheduled to return from the South Pole to the Norwegian Troll Station in Queen Maud Land. Investigating the ice movements will then be a main priority.

At the video conference Winther said that when they go back from the South Pole, they will investigate six major newly discovered lakes underneath the ice. Are they contributing to increased ice flow towards the sea? Is the water under the ice "lubricating" the ice sheets and thereby increasing their movement towards the sea, as it is a well-documented fact that the melt water does with the ice cap on Greenland?

"We have little knowledge about these processes and it is important that we find out more about them," he said.

Read more about the Traverse here

Last updated: 24.04.2008

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