Direct observations and measurements of physical properties of sea ice are the baseline of our research. These observations describe changes over different time and spatial scales. From these observations, we are able to derive direct conclusions, but we also use them to develop and validate numerical models and methods of remote-sensing data analyses.

We are using very different research platforms of the AWI and international partners: Airborne measurements (research planes and helicopters), cruises on research vessels (mostly on FS Polarstern), as well as field campaigns from research stations in both polar regions (mostly Neumayer III and Koldewey).