You've heard about climate change and global warming, but are you ready to join an expedition of scientists headed to far-north Alaska to see it for yourself? If the answer is a resounding "Yes!" you are ready to become the newest addition to the ARCSPIN Expedition to Arctic Alaska!
The Arctic is warming much faster than the rest of the planet. This is causing soil that has remained frozen for thousands of years (called permafrost) to thaw in the Arctic, resulting in big changes to ecosystems, erosion of coastlines, damage to roads and buildings, and the release of large amounts of greenhouse gases like methane into the atmosphere. Nobody really knows how materials from thawed permafrost affect clouds and weather, and that's exactly what we are going into the field to investigate.
Our team consists of lead research scientist Jessie Creamean, research scientist Thomas Hill, postdoctoral researcher Marina Nieto-Caballero, and graduate student Kevin Barry. Rick Minnich, a documentary filmmaker, will also join us to document our expedition explorations on camera. Through written articles and video calls from Alaska, we are excited to show you how this team seeks answers to some of the most pressing questions of our day.
Let's go!
