What Are They Doing?

Deployment and recovery of moorings
Deployment and recovery of moorings
Research is carried out through the NABOS (Nansen and Amundsen Basins Observational System) program. The goal of this study is to develop a comprehensive and quantitative understanding of how the Eastern Eurasian Basin (EEB) functions as a switchgear, accumulating and releasing major Arctic riverine transports and redistributing ice and freshwater between the eastern and western Arctic in response to atmospheric and oceanic forcings. Three biennial cruises, planned for August-September, will take measurements between Franz Josef Land and the central East Siberian Sea, following a path that moves from shallow water to the deep sea. The sampling program connects observations using moorings, ship sampling, and drifters.

Where Are They?

Proposed scheme for observations in the eastern Eurasian Basin (EEB)
Proposed scheme for observations in the eastern Eurasian Basin (EEB) and Makarov Basin for 2019-2023
The expedition is ship-based. The science party will embark and disembark on the Russian scientific research vessel Akademik Tryoshnikov from Kirkenes, Norway. Sampling will take place between Franz Josef Land and the central East Siberian Sea.

Latest Journals

Well, it's been 2+ weeks since I arrived home. It sometimes feels like I never left, while other times it feels like I've been gone for months. It truly is a Time Warp - cue the Rocky Horror music and costumes. Getting adjusted to a sleep schedule was actually not too bad. I arrived home on…
Well. after more than 36 hours of holding offshore in high waves and winds, we arrived in Kirkenes yesterday morning. Once docked, the first order of business for anyone flying out was a COVID-19 test. Welcome back to (an unfortunate) reality. We scientists would have questioned the test validity…
It's been very interesting being on a Russian ship, especially in terms of communication. Since the beginning of the cruise, all of the non-Russian-speaking people have had to manage with an unfamiliar language and alphabet. Some of the crew speaks very good English. The expedition cooking staff…
All good parties need a good play list and ambiance, and the Science Party is no different. While these guys don't spin discs or use Source 4s or Sharpies (thanks to my son Jonah for the lighting background), the technicians for the expedition keep everything running, from computer programming to…
Dates
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Location
Eastern Eurasian Basin
Project Funded Title
The Eastern Eurasian Basin as a Switchgear, Rerouting Fresh Water Between the Eastern and Western Arctic, in Response to Atmospheric and Oceanic Forcings
Jonathan Pazol - Educator
Educator
West Leyden High School

Jon Pazol has been teaching Biology, AP Biology, and other science courses at West Leyden High School in Northlake, IL for the past 30+ years. He is a true “science geek,” having engaged in research experiences on a polar icebreaker in the Arctic Ocean and in endocrinology, organic chemistry, field ecology, nanotechnology, and immunology. Since 2012 and his participation in the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program, he has been focused on incorporating global education into the science curriculum throughout the state and country with work on the Illinois Global Scholar Certificate. He has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Northwestern University and master’s degrees in environmental studies from Bard College and educational administration from Northeastern Illinois University. He and his wife, Naomi, live in Northbrook and have two college-age children and a variety of pets.

Elena Sparrow - Researcher
Researcher
University of Alaska

Elena Sparrow is an Education and outreach director/Research Professor at the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Dr. Sparrow is an expert in teaching and learning, pedagogy and education, professional development, and soil microbiology.

Igor Polyakov - Researcher
Researcher
University of Alaska

Igor Polyakov is a professor at the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. His high-latitude climate studies focus on polar amplification of global warming, long-term variability of the Arctic atmosphere, ice, and ocean, their interconnections, and linkages with the lower latitude processes. Dr. Polyakov is an expert in oceanography, multi-decadal variability, climate change, and the Arctic.

Lauren Kipp - Oceanographer
Oceanographer

Dr. Lauren Kipp is an oceanographer working in the Department of Environmental Science at Rowan University in Southern NJ. She uses naturally occurring radioactive isotopes to study the chemistry of the ocean, with a particular interest in how the oceans influence, and are influenced by, climate change. Much of her research takes place in the Arctic, where she has spent time collecting samples from the coast of Northern Canada all the way to the North Pole. She previously sailed on the 2015 US GEOTRACES Arctic expedition on the USCGC Healy with PolarTREC educator Bill Schmoker.

Laura Whitmore - Researcher
Researcher
University of Alaska Fairbanks

Centered on Arctic Ocean dynamics, Laura Whitmore studies several trace elements to assess their utility as indicators of circulation and biogeochemical processes. At the University of Alaska Fairbanks, she researches sea-ice geochemistry and the connectivity between the sea ice system and the ocean’s water column and is continuing research on NABOS investigating freshwater distributions and how freshwater impacts processes in the Arctic Ocean. To accomplish her research goals, she has used and participated in GEOTRACES data and campaigns to discuss the global context and applications of various trace elements. This is her first NABOS cruise and she is looking forward to future participation in the project.

Nansen and Amundsen Basins Observational System Resources

As part of the Success, Experience and Inspiration (SEI) Roundtable, educator Jon Pazol gave his PolarConnect event to discuss the science and his experience as part of the Nansen and Amundsen Basins Observational System (NABOS) team. Jon spent 40 days aboard the Russian scientific research vessel Akademik Tryoshnikov in northern Arctic seas.

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YouTube video about PolarTREC teacher Jon Pazol's experience in the Arctic. The video is part of a servies of "One Amazing Story" videos produced by Leyden High Schools District 212.

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The PolarTREC Field Experience

From September 9 - October 20, 2021, I participated in the 2021 NABOS (Nansen and Amundsen Basins Observational System) expedition on the RV Akademik Tryoshnikov. The Chief Scientist was Igor Polyakov from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and the International Arctic Research Center (IARC), and my PolarTREC team consisted of Elena Sparrow, outreach coordinator and

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Jon Pazol teaches AP science in Leyden Township High School District 212, and is embarking on a polar expedition to study climate change. As extreme weather events continue around the world - from Hurricane Ida, to extreme drought, to massive flash floods - one local science teacher is traveling to the Siberian Arctic to observe the impact of climate change

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A profile of West Leyden High School teacher Jon Pazol for his PolarTREC expedition

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