Scientists from 17 nations across the globe will be heading to the Arctic on an $158 million expedition to study the impact of climate change. Markus Rex from Germany’s Alfred Wegener Institute is heading the mission. He said: “So far we have always been locked out of that region and we lack even the basic observations of the climate processes in the central Arctic from winter. We are going to change that for the first time.”

The scientists who will be reaching the site by sea, plan to anchor their ship onto a piece of ice, allowing the water to freeze around them. They will then build temporary winter research camps in order to conduct tests. The scientists aim to look into crucial aspects of global warming and refine models to predict climate. Known as the The MOSAiC mission, which stands for Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate, the one year expedition promises a lifetime opportunity for scientists.

With the Arctic climate change impacting the whole of the Northern Hemisphere, it is crucial to understand the processes, and will play a big role in making decisions about climate change.