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[Translate to English:] Tara Polar Station staretet Drift im Nordpolarmeer
Press releases

A year in the ice: Tara Polar Station begins its drift through the central Arctic

The Tara Polar Station – a ship built specifically for polar missions by the French organisation Tara Ocean Foundation – is deliberately allowing itself to become trapped in the sea ice in order to explore the Arctic Ocean. Researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute are also taking part in the Tara Polaris I expedition (2026–2027). The Tara Polar Station has now reached the ice floe; the resulting drift marks the start of an international research programme planned for the next two decades. The aim is to gain a better understanding of the state of our…
[Translate to English:] Kürzlich ausgelaufener See
Press releases

Disappearing Lakes: New Data Platform on Permafrost Lakes in the Arctic

Permafrost is a key component of the Arctic’s complex ecosystem: it stores large quantities of carbon over long periods and provides for firm, stable ground. As the ice melts, the ground subsides, creating a depression in which meltwater can collect and, over many years, grows into a lake. While these thermokarst lakes accelerate the thawing of permafrost, they are a vital source of livelihood for local people at the same time. With technical support from North American partners, researchers at the Alfred Wegener Institute have established the ‘Lost…
[Translate to English:] Zeichung Waldbrände Antarktis
Press releases

Evidence of ancient wildfires near the South Pole

Ninety million years ago, Earth’s climate was so warm that dinosaurs roamed swampy rainforests even in what is now icy Antarctica. A team led by the Alfred Wegener Institute, RWTH Aachen University and Northumbria University has now found – in a sediment core - evidence of recurring wildfires in Cretaceous Antarctica near the South Pole. The fires apparently promoted the spread of early peatlands in the wet swamp forests. This ancient co-evolution of fire and peatland formation provides valuable insight into the development and preservation of raised…
Coastal region along the Strait of Magellan
Press releases

Blind Spots at Antarctic Coasts Limit Sea Level Projections

The Antarctic coastal zone is not simply the edge of the continent. It is a tightly coupled system where the ice from the ice sheet extends over the seabed, initially resting on it and further out floating as ice shelves. Here, mass, heat and nutrients are exchanged with the ocean through various processes. Even the smallest changes can have outsized consequences. Yet key coastal conditions remain poorly mapped as an international review published in the journal Reviews of Geophysics shows. It highlights key knowledge gaps and the need for improved…
Polarstern LAMEX 1-Expedition
Press releases

Two million nautical miles in the service of research

On 26 August 2026, the Polarstern achieved an impressive milestone: the German research icebreaker has covered a full two million nautical miles since it entered service on 9 December 1982. Of course, the ship’s crew of around 40 people is always on board, ensuring reliable operations at all times. Up to 55 researchers, working in international teams, investigate processes ranging from the seabed through the water column and all the way through to sea ice and up to the atmosphere. 
Arctic Ice Floe
Press releases

Cyclone clusters in the Arctic reduce sea ice and threaten coastlines

In the Arctic, the weather plays a key role in determining how much ice covers the ocean. One weather phenomenon that has a significant influence on this is Arctic cyclones: they cause unusually warm and stormy conditions, which typically lead to a significant loss of ice. These conditions last for a particularly long time when several cyclones rapidly follow one another. An international research team led by the Alfred Wegener Institute has now, for the first time, systematically investigated the effects of these accumulating cyclones, using weather…
[Translate to English:] Polarstern-Winterexperiment
Press releases

A new observing system for the Southern Ocean

The EU project SYNCHRONY will launch on August 1st, 2026. It aims to contribute to a better understanding of the rapid changes taking place in the complex system comprising the ocean, ice and atmosphere in the Southern Ocean and around the Antarctic ice shelves, as well as their impacts on the global climate and biodiversity. Led by the Alfred Wegener Institute, researchers from a total of 27 global partner institutions from around the world will work in interdisciplinary work packages to optimise and expand the existing observing system, harmonise data…
Eroding Permafrost Coastline
Press releases

The Arctic Ocean keeps permafrost carbon firmly locked

Permafrost in the Arctic stores large quantities of organic carbon. When the frozen ground thaws or coastal sections erode, this carbon can enter the sea, where microorganisms can break it down and convert it into climate-damaging greenhouse gases. The extent to which this carbon actually enters the atmosphere, however, and how much remains in the ocean has hardly been quantified to date. Researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute and MARUM – Centre for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen have now been able to answer this…
[Translate to English:] Einsatz des Bongo-Netzes während ARK-XXV/2 Deployment of the Bongo net during ARK-XXV/2
Press releases

Polarstern sets course for the HAUSGARTEN Arctic long-term observatory

In 1999, the Alfred Wegener Institute launched an ambitious project: the HAUSGARTEN observatory in the Fram Strait between northeast Greenland and Svalbard. Spanning ice-covered waters and extending to depths of more than 5,500 metres, this unique research infrastructure has become a key site for monitoring the impact of climate change on polar marine ecosystems. A special issue of the journal Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography now brings together key findings from 25 years of research at HAUSGARTEN, underscoring the urgent need…
Portrait of AWI geograph Prof Dr Ulrike Herzschuh
Press releases

AWI researcher in Potsdam awarded ERC Advanced Grant

Over the next five years, Ulrike Herzschuh will be able to focus more strongly on the extinction of plant species and develop new methods and models for this purpose. The researcher from the Alfred Wegener Institute in Potsdam has been awarded a prestigious Advanced Grant from the European Research Council (ERC). This grant supports groundbreaking and high-risk research that could open up new scientific avenues. Her “plantExtinct” project will receive three million euros in funding.