ARKHANGELSK, August 16. /TASS/. The Arctic Floating University plans to continue expeditions on board the national hydrometeorology service's vessels, delivering supplies to its polar stations. Scientists are happy to use the Mikhail Somov research vessel, even though earlier it ran aground and the expedition participants had to take another vessel, President of the Northern Arctic Federal University Elena Kudryashova told TASS.
On July 24, the Mikhail Somov ran aground between the Komsomolsky Islands and the Wilczek Land of the Franz Josef Land Archipelago, and resumed sailing on August 8. Presently, the vessel is sailing along the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago towards Arkhangelsk. Participants in the expedition onboard the Mikhail Somov had to change the vessel for the Professor Molchanov that will take them to Arkhangelsk.
"No doubt, Sevhydromet (the meteorology service's Northern Branch) will organize supply voyages in the coming years, too, and this means the Arctic Floating University will continue working onboard the Mikhail Somov. Correct, this year, the participants were in a complicated situation - the vessel has run aground. However, they did manage the survey program, have processed some of the data, and have proved their best capabilities in such an untypical situation," she said.
It was for the first time that the Arctic Floating University used the Mikhail Somov's supply voyage. The explorers had an opportunity to expand the area - to survey coasts and islands in the Barents and Kara Seas.
The scientists, postgraduates and students are interested in expeditions, especially to the Arctic, where they can try theoretical developments, can test in high latitudes the devices and equipment they make, she continued. "It is also very important that it is the Northern Arctic Federal University that unites large scientific and educational organizations from all over the country into the Arctic Floating University. This year's first expedition featured representatives of 14 organizations, and the second - of 10," she added.
About Floating University
The Arctic Floating University is a joint project of the Northern Arctic Federal University and the Northern Branch for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring. The expeditions continue since 2012. The first expedition in 2023 was on board the Professor Molchanov between June 23 and July 15. 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, and the Russian Geographical Society.