Logistic Aspects of MOSAiC
Uwe Nixdorf, Klaus Dethloff, Marcel Nicolaus, Markus Rex, Anja Sommerfeld,
& Matthew Shupe
Time schedule:
• 2016 – 2019: preparation phase
- release of implementation plan during the ASSW (March 2016)
- logistic planning on board Polarstern (May 2016)
- asking for the Russian and Chinese Ice breakers
(Summer/Autumn 2016)
- MOSAiC Open Science Conference (Spring 2017)
- data and coordination workshops (2018)
- observing Team workshop (Spring 2019)
- final participants lists (Spring 2019)
- cargo delivery to Tromsø (September 2019)
• October 2019 – October 2020: drift schedule
- drift is split into 6 legs
 approximately 2 month for each leg
 Leg 1 and Leg 2 are weeks longer (transit to and from the drift floe)
Drift:
• installation of Polarstern in
the newly formed sea ice in
October 2019
• potential drift is simulated
by forward-simulations of sea
ice based on satellite derived
daily drift vectors from the
years 2001 – 2013/14
• drift near the North Pole,
but within helicopter range
from Cape Baranov (Russia)
or Longyearbyen (Svalbard)
 starting position 84° N /
120°E fulfills the plan of
transpolar drift
Drift – trajectory uncertainties:
• averaged simulated drift
track for the starting position
84° N / 120°E
• is not a reliable forecast, but
helps for an easier planning

in particular during summer
where sea ice drift detection
is uncertain and therefore the
drift trajectory as well
Legs and Resupply:
Leg
1
2
3
4
5
6
Date
01 Oct 19
10 Oct 19
Action
Requirements
Start of Leg 1 / leave TROMSØ
Arrive at Central Observatory floe
position in Laptev Sea (e.g. 84°N/
120°E) and identify suitable ice floe
11 Oct 19
Start to deploy distributed network
14 Oct 19
Refueling (400 tons) at start location
Ship takes deployers home
Russian ship
e.g. Academic Federov
Russian ship
e.g. Academic Federov
15 Oct 19
18 Oct 19
12 Dec 19
Drift starts
Time series start
Scientist exchange
Helicopter via Cape Baranov
13 Dec 19
13 Feb 20
Start of Leg 2
Refueling Polarstern (1600 tons)
Scientist and crew exchange
Start of Leg 3
Scientist exchange
14 Feb 20
09 Apr 20
10 Apr 20
11 Jun 20
Start of Leg 4
Refueling Polarstern (1000 tons)
Scientist and crew exchange
12 Jun 20
13 Aug 20
Start of Leg 5
Refueling Polarstern (1000 tons)
Scientist exchange
Start of Leg 6
End of time series
End of drift
Collect instrumentation from network
Steaming to Bremerhaven
14 Aug 20
18 Oct 20
21 Oct 20
31 Oct 20
Arrival Bremerhaven
Fuel est. (tons)
2400
2000>2400
Russian nuclear icebreaker
555>2155
Helicopter via LYR or Cape
Baranov
International icebreaker
385>1385
e.g. US Vessel or Swedish
Oden
International icebreaker
Snow Dragon possible
440>1440
405
Evtl. support
vessel
from
other
55
Personnel and Personnel Exchange:
• 96 persons: 43 crew members
47 scientific participants
4 Helicopter crew (2 pilots, 2 technicians)
2 pax weather forecast (DWD) (1 meteorologist,1 technician)
- 47 scientists include: 1 cruise leader
1 chief scientist
2 safety guards
1 data manager
2 media/outreach representatives
40 remaining scientists: Atmosphere: 8 persons
Sea ice and snow cover: 8 persons
Ocean: 5 persons
Bio-geochemistry: 4 persons
Ecosystem: 6 persons
added to different teams: 9 persons
- 10 additional scientist during Leg 4 and Leg 5, will mostly live in the secondary camp
- 4 persons: logistical and technical support are needed
 discuss which needs can be covered by the crew
Personnel and Personnel Exchange:
• exchange of scientific personnel after each leg
- 8 to 10 people from the different teams stay on board for 2 consecutive legs
- exchange during refueling or via Cape Baranov (Russia) with helicopters
• ship crew will be changed after every other leg during ship supply
Funding of MOSAiC
Polarstern: 396 days ~28 Mio EUR
(provided by AWI)
Remaining funding needs: 14.4 Mio EUR:
- Resupply: 10.2 Mio EUR
- Neumayer supply: 1.5 Mio EUR
- Person exchange: 1.2 Mio EUR
- Other logistics and safety: 1.5 Mio EUR
=> Participants fee: 1400 EUR/day
- EU/NSF/others: calls and/or tenders
Not included
- Science positions
- Science equipment
Rescue and Alternative Plans:
rescue:
• drift into the Beaufort Gyre (very unlikely)
 experiments will be interrupted and shifted towards the transpolar drift
• medical emergencies
 helicopter flights from Cape Baranov or Longyearbyen
alternative plans:
• Plan B – without a nuclear icebreaker
 drift track shifted eastwards (between transpolar and NP35 drift)
 non-nuclear icebreaker can be used
• Plan C – without any other required refueling
 drift track like Norwegian N-ICE campaign 2015
 Polarstern will leave ice for refueling to a port or meet a tanker ship at the ice edge
 interruption of measurements at Central Observatory, but distributed network will
stay in place
Safety Aspects During the Drift:
on board:
• safety aspects: weapons (polar bear safety), dangerous goods, radionuclides, samples and
frozen goods, lab safety
• ship safety will be trained on board
• safety regulations will be followed, introduced and supervised by the ship´s safety officers
(2 safety guards who are experienced in Arctic fieldwork will join each leg )
• each group leaving the ship will get dedicated safety briefings
on ice:
• participants will go through safety workshops prior to the legs:
-
use of safety equipment and rules to obey
work in Arctic winter/summer conditions
proper clothing, introduction into field equipment
helicopter instructions (scientific missions on Polarstern)
general ice camp procedures
first aid
polar bear awareness and protection