With more than eight billion people on Earth, there aren't many places on the planet where scientists can go to get away from human influences on our environment and study how the natural world interacts with itself. To collect "clean" data, field scientists need to leave cities behind, avoid normal shipping and flight routes, and seek remote places far away from civilization and the comforts of home. How far do you think we need to journey to find the "cleanest air on Earth"?
Welcome to the Cleanest Air on Earth Expedition... part two! After a successful first voyage in 2024 (check out https://reachtheworld.org/cleanest-air-earth-expedition) the team of atmospheric scientists from the University of Utah and Colorado State University are returning to the Southern Ocean off Antarctica to collect more data. Once again, they will travel from the United States to Hobart, Tasmania, but this time their home at sea is the Australian Antarctic Program research vessel RSV Nuyina. Their destination is a region of the Southern Ocean that contains the least evidence of human impact of any place on the planet--the perfect spot to collect atmospheric data that may help reveal how the natural world behaves when humans aren't around.
Join this virtual exchange expedition to see what it's like to live and work at sea, how to conduct scientific fieldwork in extreme environments, and (if we're very lucky) a whale spotting or two! Through weekly written articles and regular livestream events with expedition team members, you'll have a front-row seat to a real-life scientific expedition in one of the most remote locations on the planet. Bundle up... let's go!
This virtual exchange program is supported by the National Science Foundation.
