News

Researchers can now access one of the largest diatom databases on the Internet. With a current size of approximately 300,000 preserved samples and 80,000 microscope slide preparations, the collection is invaluable for science. Diatoms are unicellular photosynthetic organisms that occur both in marine and in freshwater environments. They are an important part of the food chain, and represent useful indicators for ecological and climatic change. Their unique feature is a cell wall constructed of silica organized in a characteristic structure. Diatoms are…

"Polarstern” begins new iron fertilization experiment

On January 21, 2004, the "Polarstern", research vessel of the Alfred-Wegener-Institute of Polar and Marine Research, will leave Cape Town for the third stage of the 21st expedition to Antarctica. Forty-nine scientists from nine countries will be aboard to investigate the effects of fertilizing the Southern Ocean on the carbon exchange between air and sea surface. Carbon in the form of carbon dioxide acts as a greenhouse gas, and plays a major role in global climate warming.

Ten years Dallmann Laboratory

On January 19, 2004, the Dallmann Laboratory on King George Island in Antarctica will celebrate its 10th anniversary. Biologists and geoscientists from the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) use this laboratory, which is located on a shallow bay, for investigations of ice-free areas and nearshore shallow waters. This is only possible in few Antarctic localities since most of the coast is covered with thick shelf-ice or glaciers.

European ice core drilling project at Kohnen station retrieves old ice for climate research
At the Kohnen station operated by Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar- and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, the international drilling team reached a depth of 2000 meters on January 7 at 0210 hours. The ice from that depth is about 100.000 years old and yields information on climate conditions of the distant past.

Simulation of iceberg scraping: the first field experiment to test re-colonization of the seafloor in Antarctica

The 'Polarstern', research vessel of the Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and Marine Research, has just started a long-term field experiment on Antarctica's seafloor. Scientists are investigating how bare patches of the ocean's floor are re-colonized after disturbance events such as scraping icebergs.

One week before Christmas we "Überwinterer" are finally alone. We, that is station engineer Konstanze Piel and station leader Jens Kube. What does "alone" mean here in Ny-Ålesund? Mainly, that we are the only ones left at the German Koldewey-Station. The village of Ny-Ålesund, our home for one year, is hosting about thirty more people, most from Norway, but also from Sweden, China, and Japan. So we are not really lonely. And of cause, we also have contact to our friends, family, and colleagues by the means of modern communication.

Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) convenes July 25 through July 31 2004

The 28th International Antarctic conference of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research will take place in the Congress Centre in Bremen July 25 through July 31 2004. About 600 scientists from more than 30 countries are expected to attend this most important Antarctic research meeting. All disciplines of Antarctic research will be represented. Hence, the SCAR conference will provide a good opportunity to find out about the current status of and perspectives…

During the first days of December, the Kohnen-Station resumed activity for the season. Since then, the expedition team has reached its full complement. The members are doing well under sunny skies with temperatures of minus twenty degree celsius. There were no major problems in getting used to the altitude change from sea level to 3000 m within just a few hours.

The over winterer team at the Neumayer station witnessed the last solar eclipse of the year
In the late evening of November 23rd (climax 23:27 UTC) a partial solar eclipse was visible in the Antarctic.

Scientists at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) are handling the oldest ice that has ever been unearthed: The ice cores, which were drilled during last winter in the Antarctic research station Dome C, are up to 900.000 years old.