Explorers begin Arctic trek to collect samples

Three British explorers are on a trek across the floating sea ice of the Arctic Ocean to collect samples for a scientific mission.

Ann Daniels, Martin Hartley and Charlie Paton landed successfully on the ice after a seven-hour flight by Twin Otter plane from Resolute in northern Canada, a spokesman for the expedition said.

They will head north collecting data and samples for the Catlin Arctic Survey 2010, which is trying to discover how carbon dioxide is affecting the sea water of the ocean.

Before leaving Resolute Daniels said: "We're as ready as we're going to be, but eager to get started.

"Our work is to capture data which scientists would otherwise not be able to get, it is just so hard to operate in this environment in winter. The expedition focus is on ocean acidification."

The team will haul sledges weighing up to 120 kilos as they find samples for the scientists, who are at an ice base further south in the ocean for the next 45 days.

Survey director Pen Hadow, another explorer, said: "Scientists really want to know more about what is going on in this region of the ocean, but to operate on the Arctic Ocean in winter is extremely hard.

"Our expedition is not only giving the scientists a way of working there themselves by providing experienced polar guides, but enabling survey data to be obtained far beyond the areas of the ocean where it is safe for them to work by sending our explorers to do that work for them."

During the survey work the teams will be facing temperatures as low as -45C with a wind-chill pushing down to -75C. Professor Jean-Pierre Gattuso of CNRS-Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, whose researchers are heading for the ice base, said: "The oceans absorb about a quarter of human-made CO2.

"This has been limiting the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere and mitigating climate change. However, the massive amounts of CO2 absorbed considerably upsets the ocean chemistry by increasing the acidity of sea water.

"It is certain that it will impact marine ecosystems, although we do not fully understand how all marine species will cope at the levels of acidity projected later in this century."