ARKHANGELSK, June 26. /TASS/. The Arctic Floating University onboard the Professor Molchanov scientific-research vessel on Friday departed from the Arkhangelsk port heading for the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, TASS correspondent reported from the vessel. The expedition participants plan to conduct studies in the archipelago's northern part from both the Barents and the Kara Seas, as well as on the Kolguev and the Vaygach Islands.

The Arctic Floating University is a joint project of the Northern Arctic Federal University (NAFU) and the Northern Branch for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring. The expeditions continue since 2012.

"As for the ice situation, the conditions now are quite favorable. The route crosses the northern parts of the Barents and Kara Seas, the northern part of the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, and we plan to make an oceanology section from Novaya Zemlya's north to Franz Josef Land," the expedition leader Alexander Saburov told TASS. "The past winter was rather warm. Already now water is mostly clear - more than half of the distance between Franz Josef Land and the north of Novaya Zemlya. We hope, unlike it was last year, ice won't stop us from making a complete oceanology section."

A section is a line between fixed coordinates, where scientists take measurements and water samples. The section from the Salm Island (Franz Josef Land) to Cape Zhelaniya (Novaya Zemlya) is very important and interesting in terms of how water masses get distributed in the Barents Sea. Such studies should be conducted rather at the same points every year. In 2022, the Professor Molchanov ran into solid ice, and therefore the expedition could not make it to the first planned point, and the scientists had to begin the work a little further to the south.

Applied research

This year, the expedition features researchers, postgraduates and students from 13 scientific and educational organizations of Arkhangelsk, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Saratov and Norilsk. Three foreign students represent Moldova, Bulgaria and Turkey - they have passed a competition organized by the Russian Geographical Society.

The expedition plans to pay special attention to the technological direction. "The Arctic Floating University project, like the Russian science in general, is in a very interesting, important period of its development, when nowadays a great emphasis is on applied research," the expedition leader said. "The Arctic is a region that is highly demanding for technological solutions and developments. This year, for the first time, the expedition will face several technological applied areas of work."

Specialists of the Krylov State Scientific Center will participate in the Floating University's expedition for the first time. They will measure the ship's underwater noise. Man-made underwater noise is classified as a marine pollutant. This country has been studying underwater noises since the 1950s. However, Russia still does not regulate man-made underwater noise coming from civil underwater equipment. "The studies' results will be used to develop domestic standards for civil marine equipment," the expedition leader said.

NAFU scientists will study for the first time how space weather affects satellites in the circumpolar areas of low Earth orbit. The number of small vehicles flying in low orbits has been growing lately. At the same time, data from them is not recorded into memory, but is received at the time they fly over the station. In the polar regions, satellites are seriously affected by solar radiation. "Up-to-date telemetry information can be obtained only while in the circumpolar regions," the scientist explained. "Thus, the Arctic Floating University is an excellent platform for this research. We will install special equipment to receive signals. We will process them, and further on, based on results, we will offer recommendations on how to improve the spacecraft design to extend their operation terms."

Researchers from NAFU's Severodvinsk Branch will test a submersible to survey ship hulls and to fix objects on the seabed. In addition, during the voyage they will test a new method to conduct complex technical diagnostics of the ship's electric drive. The methods should be helpful in understanding and forecasting the vessel's conditions.

AARI studies

A team of scientists from the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI, St. Petersburg) plans a big program. They will study soil for contamination with heavy metals (Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Cd, Pb) and with artificial radionuclides (Cesium 137). For this purpose, they will sample soils, mosses and lichens at the locations where the expedition vessel will have stops.

In addition, the researchers plan to search for cold-resistant cellulose-destroying bacteria. Their strains may be used to recycle polymer composite materials by biodegradation - that is the most natural and environmentally friendly way, AARI's press service told TASS.

The scientists will study how the warm Atlantic water mass spreads and transforms inside the cold Barents Sea and will assess carbon dioxide content changes in the air layer next to water.

Polar expedition psychology

Throughout the expedition the participants will undergo psychological examinations. The focus will be on the interaction between the participants at the expedition's different stages, to see which aspects affect most their performance and moods. "We have not studied the interaction among expedition members," the expedition leader said. "After the studies we will offer recommendations for successful psychological adaptation of people remaining in a limited space for a long time. For example, shift workers or other expedition groups."

The expedition participants will look for cold-resistant bacteria that can destroy cellulose, will analyze the accumulated waste at polar islands, will study plants and animals in the Arctic territories. The expedition is due to end on July 14.

The Floating University's second voyage this year is planned for July 4 - August 6 onboard the Mikhail Somov scientific-research vessel. A team of 17 scientists will conduct geology, microbiology and other studies on islands of Franz Josef Land, Severnaya Zemlya, on the Dikson, as well as at polar stations en route.

The project's partners and sponsors are the Ministry for Development of the Far East and Arctic, VTB, Novatek, Norilsk Nickel, the Arkhangelsk Region's government, the Russian Geographical Society.