ST. PETERSBURG, November 8. /TASS/. Participants in the North Pole-41 expedition organized a science camp on a drifting ice floe in the Arctic Ocean, press service of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) said on Monday.

"Participants in the Russian drifting expedition - North Pole-41 - of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute have completed works to organize a science ice camp next to the North Pole ice-resistant platform," the press service said. "Over the first month of drifting, the scientists have conducted all due works to organize scientific laboratories and test areas, and have started observation missions."

The scientific camp includes easy-to-build geophysical, ice research and meteorology laboratory houses, as well as an oceanographic terminal, a magnetic pavilion, a workshop, an ice morphometric area and a Toros test area. Within the first month only, the North Pole has drifted more than 400 km, and the scientists have managed to collect data necessary to understand the natural processes in the Arctic, the press service said.

"The new format of work - where we use the ice-resistant platform, which has become a cozy and safe home for polar explorers - demonstrates its effectiveness literally from the first stages of the expedition. It has taken less than a month to set up the science camp," the press service quoted AARI's Director Alexander Makarov as saying. "In the near future, the expedition will arrange a garage to serve the equipment, will continue installing a unique measuring system to study large-scale fluctuations of the ice cover and its response to atmospheric disturbances. In January, they will begin arranging a runway."

The world's first ice-resistant platform, the North Pole, is designed for year-round expeditions in the northern latitudes of the Arctic Ocean. When sailing to a designated location, it does not require icebreaker services. The platform can drift for up to two years and sail back to the port. Mil Mi-8AMT (Mi-171) helicopters may land on the vessel. The North Pole offers comfortable and safe operation at the temperature of minus 50 degrees and humidity of 85%. The speed is at least 10 knots. The vessel has a crew of 14 members and can take onboard 34 scientific personnel. The displacement is more than 10,000 tons. The platform is equipped with a scientific complex of 15 laboratories, a mobile field camp for accommodation on ice floes.