Russian traveler Fyodor Konyukhov, 69, completed a solitary drift near the North Pole, where he was taken by the world's largest icebreaker "50 Years of Victory". There he investigated the power of melting ice in the Arctic Ocean, the Roscongress Foundation, which is the organizer of the project, said.

"The traveler's goals were to study the intensity of melting and drift routes of the Arctic Ocean ice. He also managed to make a unique recording of seismic activity of the Arctic Ocean on an autonomous seismograph developed by the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology. P. P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Science. Russian oceanographers expect to obtain a reference record of the natural background of the Arctic Ocean, as well as the seismic activity of the Earth's crust in the area of the pole, in particular, the Gakkel Ridge spreading", - told the fund.

As explained in the Roscongress, the project is timed to the start of the presidency of Russia in the Arctic Council in 2021-2023. It is unique in the fact that to conduct research, the seismograph was placed directly on the ice and there is no additional man-made noise from vehicles or diesel generators, inherent in the crowded coastal polar stations. Accommodation for Fyodor Konyukhov was an expedition tent set up on a solid ice-floe up to 1.5 meters thick which contained working space and a sleeping module with a possibility of creating "artificial night" during the long polar day. The tent was powered by a solar panel. Communication with the station was via satellite phone daily at 12 noon and 9 p.m. Moscow time, and the traveler's location was tracked in real time via trackers.

"I hope this project will expand Russia's presence in the Arctic. We need to be more active in science, protect the environment, and unite scientists, travelers and entrepreneurs around us for the sustainable development of the Arctic region. Arctic Ocean is the "kitchen" of global weather. On my next polar expedition, I plan to make the first trans-Arctic flight in a hot-air balloon across the geographic North Pole, studying climate change in the Arctic at the same time", noted Konyukhov.

An interactive map of the route can be seen on the traveler'sofficial website.

Made in Russia // Made in Russia

Author: Karina Kamalova