Each year we put together a scientific programme which allows scientists to gather data from the very remote regions of the Arctic we travel through. We try and choose science that is readily understandable to all of us and as relevant as possible. For example; we work with the American NASA backed organisation, the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Colorado, conducting essential validation experimentation for the satellite ICESat. This measures the thickness of ice throughout the region to determine the extent to which depletion has occurred.

We measure particulate matter on the surface of the snow which adds to the Albedo affect which in turn adds to global warming. We repeat much of this work on an annual basis as well as gathering vitally important data on the polar bear population as we travel 1000’s of miles across the Arctic Circle.

We also engage in what Jim describes as polar bear “twitching” to benchmark the state of the polar bear population in conjunction with the Norwegian Polar Institute.

The Science - Walt Meier
"Arctic sea ice is decreasing and this decrease has accelerated in recent years, culminating a record-shattering record low in September 2007. The total Arctic ice extent reached a level 20% below the previous record low and 40% below the average during the 1980s and 1990s. This decline is faster than climate models have forecast. Perhaps more importantly, the ice cover also appears to be thinning dramatically; with the thickness decreasing at a faster rate than the aerial extent. Thus, previous forecasts that the Arctic may become icefree during by the end of the century are likely too conservative and such conditions could occur within the next two to three decades.
There is consistent and complete satellite data on aerial extent dating back to the late 1970s. Other data extend the record back to the early 1950s with good confidence. However, while there are some records of ice thickness dating back to the 1930s, the data is extremely sparse in both space and time. Until just the past few years, that situation has persisted, limited our knowledge of changes in ice thickness. New satellite sensors are now providing more complete information on thickness, but these sensors are still new technologies and better validation is required. The best validations are from ground measurements taken by ice auger. A major uncertainty in the satellite data is an accurate knowledge of the snow thickness and density. Only surface measurements can provide quality information on snow cover.
The Ice Warrior expedition to the Arctic Pole will allow such measurements to be taken and will provide an important dataset for satellite validation. In addition, the Ice Warrior expedition will collect measurements far into the central Arctic Ocean, a region that has rarely been sampled from the ground. This is a region that appears to have thinned quite dramatically in recent years and is therefore an important region to gather data. Thus, the measurements collected by Ice Warrior will add valuable information to our knowledge of the Arctic sea ice cover.”
Ted Scambos
Dr. Ted Scambos, the scientist leading this collaboration for NSIDC/NASA explained, “Measuring sea ice thickness over the entire Arctic, using satellites, has long been a 'holy grail' for polar research. The annual growth and decay of this system-the sea ice and underlying ocean - represents a huge cycle of heat, fresh water, and salt in Earth's climate, yet we've never had a good way to measure its total volume. The measurements that the Ice Warrior team will take, plus simultaneous observations from space using the NASA satellite, ICESat, promise to give us the best possible chance of resolving this system to a new degree of accuracy. Furthermore, we will be able to use the team's on-the-ground ice and snow measurements to compare against past measurements by sub-marine and buoy-sonar. This comparison will help us evaluate how quickly Earth's northern ice cap is thinning."
Lead Scientist - National Snow and Ice Data Center, Boulder, Colorado, USA