1 00:00:00,933 --> 00:00:02,933 ♪ ♪ 2 00:00:09,666 --> 00:00:14,366 ♪ ♪ 3 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:21,233 {\an1}(woman vocalizing) 4 00:00:21,266 --> 00:00:22,433 NARRATOR: The Arctic. 5 00:00:25,866 --> 00:00:28,833 {\an1}Its vast frozen ocean cools our planet 6 00:00:28,866 --> 00:00:32,333 {\an1}and impacts weather around the globe. 7 00:00:35,100 --> 00:00:38,233 {\an1}But the Arctic is changing... 8 00:00:38,266 --> 00:00:43,033 {\an1}warming at least twice as fast as the rest of the planet. 9 00:00:44,733 --> 00:00:46,200 {\an1}Exactly what's happening, 10 00:00:46,233 --> 00:00:48,266 and how it will affect life on Earth, 11 00:00:48,300 --> 00:00:50,533 {\an1}has not been fully explored. 12 00:00:50,566 --> 00:00:54,400 ♪ ♪ 13 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:02,466 ♪ ♪ 14 00:01:02,500 --> 00:01:04,600 But now, 15 00:01:04,633 --> 00:01:07,166 {\an1}a global team of scientists is setting out 16 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:12,133 {\an1}on the biggest polar expedition ever attempted. 17 00:01:12,166 --> 00:01:15,533 ♪ ♪ 18 00:01:15,566 --> 00:01:17,566 MARKUS REX: We have hundreds of people 19 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:20,133 {\an1}from 37 different nationalities on board. 20 00:01:20,166 --> 00:01:22,100 {\an1}It's a massive operation 21 00:01:22,133 --> 00:01:24,366 {\an1}on a scale that we have never seen in the Arctic before. 22 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:26,633 {\an1}(machine whirring) 23 00:01:26,666 --> 00:01:29,133 ALLISON FONG: We're creating a benchmark of measurements 24 00:01:29,166 --> 00:01:31,133 {\an1}that we may never be able to repeat 25 00:01:31,166 --> 00:01:32,600 {\an1}in the future because there won't 26 00:01:32,633 --> 00:01:35,333 {\an1}be sea ice for us to study. 27 00:01:35,366 --> 00:01:37,666 NARRATOR: The plan is a world first: 28 00:01:37,700 --> 00:01:40,133 {\an1}to take a high-tech research icebreaker 29 00:01:40,166 --> 00:01:44,366 {\an1}and freeze it into the Central Arctic ice 30 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:45,800 {\an1}for an entire year. 31 00:01:45,833 --> 00:01:47,100 MATTHEW SHUPE: We're taking 32 00:01:47,133 --> 00:01:49,733 {\an1}a whole new level of sophistication with us. 33 00:01:49,766 --> 00:01:51,733 {\an1}All right? Onboard the ship will be instruments 34 00:01:51,766 --> 00:01:54,600 {\an1}that have never been installed in the Central Arctic. 35 00:01:55,833 --> 00:01:59,300 NARRATOR: Locked in place, they'll explore 36 00:01:59,333 --> 00:02:02,000 every aspect of the Central Arctic 37 00:02:02,033 --> 00:02:04,033 as never before, 38 00:02:04,066 --> 00:02:06,733 {\an1}through the constant darkness of a polar winter 39 00:02:06,766 --> 00:02:09,600 {\an1}and some of the harshest conditions on Earth. 40 00:02:12,166 --> 00:02:15,500 Their mission: to investigate why the ice 41 00:02:15,533 --> 00:02:17,000 {\an1}is melting so fast 42 00:02:17,033 --> 00:02:19,966 {\an1}and help us better predict how its rapid change 43 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:24,933 {\an1}will impact the rest of our planet. 44 00:02:24,966 --> 00:02:27,247 {\an1}It's about taking stock of what we've done to the Earth... 45 00:02:29,066 --> 00:02:33,166 {\an1}...and what we can still do. 46 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:36,100 {\an1}(women vocalizing) 47 00:02:36,133 --> 00:02:37,900 NARRATOR: "Arctic Drift," 48 00:02:37,933 --> 00:02:40,466 {\an1}right now, on "NOVA." 49 00:02:40,500 --> 00:02:41,500 ♪ ♪ 50 00:03:02,133 --> 00:03:06,133 {\an1}(birds squawking) 51 00:03:12,466 --> 00:03:15,066 ♪ ♪ 52 00:03:15,100 --> 00:03:18,400 NARRATOR: After more than ten years of planning, 53 00:03:18,433 --> 00:03:21,266 {\an1}an international team of scientists is heading north 54 00:03:21,300 --> 00:03:24,133 {\an1}on the journey of a lifetime. 55 00:03:24,166 --> 00:03:26,866 ♪ ♪ 56 00:03:26,900 --> 00:03:30,033 FONG: This mission is the modern climate science 57 00:03:30,066 --> 00:03:33,100 {\an1}equivalent of going to the moon. 58 00:03:33,133 --> 00:03:34,900 ♪ ♪ 59 00:03:34,933 --> 00:03:38,566 {\an1}If you asked me if I'd ever imagined myself 60 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:42,266 {\an7}working in the Arctic, going to polar bear safety training, 61 00:03:42,300 --> 00:03:45,500 {\an7}handling a rifle, I would have laughed at you. 62 00:03:45,533 --> 00:03:48,400 {\an7}I would have been, like, "You're crazy, there's no way!" 63 00:03:52,433 --> 00:03:53,509 {\an8}VISHNU NANDAN: Coming from a place where 64 00:03:53,533 --> 00:03:55,666 {\an7}people have never seen snow or ice 65 00:03:55,700 --> 00:03:59,000 {\an7}for the past thousands of years, Arctic, for me, 66 00:03:59,033 --> 00:04:02,166 {\an8}is something out of this world. 67 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:05,500 {\an1}The expedition will definitely give us a new perspective 68 00:04:05,533 --> 00:04:08,600 {\an1}about the changes happening in the Arctic environment. 69 00:04:08,633 --> 00:04:12,666 ♪ ♪ 70 00:04:12,700 --> 00:04:17,733 SHUPE: Making scientific observations in the Arctic is very difficult. 71 00:04:17,766 --> 00:04:19,333 {\an7}Relative to the rest of the globe, 72 00:04:19,366 --> 00:04:21,600 {\an7}we have very few observations of the Arctic system, 73 00:04:21,633 --> 00:04:25,300 {\an1}especially in the wintertime. 74 00:04:25,333 --> 00:04:28,000 {\an1}We're going into a frontier, really. 75 00:04:28,033 --> 00:04:31,100 {\an1}I mean, the Arctic is still a frontier. 76 00:04:31,133 --> 00:04:33,366 ♪ ♪ 77 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:45,166 {\an1}(indistinct chatter) 78 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:47,600 {\an8}NARRATOR: The mission, dubbed MOSAiC, 79 00:04:47,633 --> 00:04:50,666 {\an8}and led by Germany's polar institute, 80 00:04:50,700 --> 00:04:54,033 {\an7}is heading deep into the Arctic sea ice. 81 00:04:55,933 --> 00:04:58,900 {\an8}♪ ♪ 82 00:04:58,933 --> 00:05:03,266 {\an7}A place like nowhere else on Earth. 83 00:05:03,300 --> 00:05:07,333 {\an7}A vast, frozen world floating on a deep ocean. 84 00:05:07,366 --> 00:05:10,466 {\an7}It's thin and treacherous in summer, 85 00:05:10,500 --> 00:05:14,433 {\an7}and almost impenetrable in winter. 86 00:05:14,466 --> 00:05:16,366 {\an7}It means the Central Arctic remains 87 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:21,733 {\an7}one of the least understood places on the planet. 88 00:05:21,766 --> 00:05:23,800 {\an8}But now, the team plans 89 00:05:23,833 --> 00:05:27,233 {\an1}to establish a cutting-edge research camp 90 00:05:27,266 --> 00:05:28,633 {\an1}by allowing their icebreaker, 91 00:05:28,666 --> 00:05:33,733 {\an1}the Polarstern, to become frozen into the ice itself. 92 00:05:43,333 --> 00:05:47,200 {\an8}♪ ♪ 93 00:05:47,233 --> 00:05:51,166 {\an1}(indistinct chatter) 94 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:52,866 {\an1}SHUPE: This looks great, I think, 95 00:05:52,900 --> 00:05:54,433 as far as size. 96 00:05:56,733 --> 00:05:58,400 {\an1}We're going into the sea ice 97 00:05:58,433 --> 00:06:01,366 {\an1}to try to find an ice floe. 98 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:05,200 An ice floe is a discrete chunk of ice. 99 00:06:05,233 --> 00:06:08,033 {\an1}It's maybe a couple of kilometers across. 100 00:06:08,066 --> 00:06:11,766 {\an1}Ideally, our floe will be thick enough 101 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:13,309 {\an1}so that it can support all of our equipment 102 00:06:13,333 --> 00:06:14,833 {\an1}that we want to put out on the ice. 103 00:06:14,866 --> 00:06:16,309 {\an1}And yeah, this stuff that's right there 104 00:06:16,333 --> 00:06:18,600 {\an1}is the rotten layer that's underneath... 105 00:06:18,633 --> 00:06:21,066 {\an1}(indistinct chatter) 106 00:06:21,100 --> 00:06:23,900 {\an1}SHUPE (voiceover): And this will be our home for the next year. 107 00:06:23,933 --> 00:06:26,366 {\an1}So this is really 108 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:28,933 {\an1}a crucial moment in our whole expedition. 109 00:06:28,966 --> 00:06:30,800 ♪ ♪ 110 00:06:30,833 --> 00:06:32,666 NARRATOR: The success of the mission 111 00:06:32,700 --> 00:06:36,533 {\an1}depends on taking advantage of a natural phenomenon. 112 00:06:36,566 --> 00:06:39,700 ♪ ♪ 113 00:06:39,733 --> 00:06:43,833 {\an1}The plan is to hitch a ride on the Transpolar Drift, 114 00:06:43,866 --> 00:06:46,266 {\an1}a constantly moving belt of sea ice 115 00:06:46,300 --> 00:06:50,333 {\an1}that's driven by prevailing winds and ocean currents. 116 00:06:50,366 --> 00:06:53,633 {\an1}If they freeze-in near Russia, 117 00:06:53,666 --> 00:06:56,366 {\an1}it should carry them for hundreds of miles... 118 00:06:56,400 --> 00:07:01,866 {\an1}close to the North Pole, then towards the Atlantic. 119 00:07:01,900 --> 00:07:03,500 SHUPE: If we pick the right ice floe, 120 00:07:03,533 --> 00:07:07,066 {\an1}then we'll stay in the ice pack for a full year. 121 00:07:07,100 --> 00:07:10,000 If we pick the wrong ice floe, 122 00:07:10,033 --> 00:07:13,766 {\an1}it might drift out to the ice edge faster than we anticipated. 123 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:16,100 {\an1}It might break up. 124 00:07:16,133 --> 00:07:18,800 {\an1}And so we're walking a thin line here. 125 00:07:20,333 --> 00:07:21,893 {\an7}MAN (over radio): So we are standing by. 126 00:07:23,333 --> 00:07:24,866 Copy that, I will take off now. 127 00:07:26,266 --> 00:07:27,500 {\an1}Okay, door's closed. 128 00:07:27,533 --> 00:07:31,700 ♪ ♪ 129 00:07:31,733 --> 00:07:35,966 NARRATOR: The team has spotted several potential ice floes. 130 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:37,600 (radio chatter) 131 00:07:37,633 --> 00:07:40,133 {\an1}To find out if they're suitable, 132 00:07:40,166 --> 00:07:42,500 {\an1}they need to explore them on foot. 133 00:07:46,533 --> 00:07:49,966 (drill whirring) 134 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:51,733 {\an1}(Rex speaking German) 135 00:07:53,466 --> 00:07:55,000 {\an8}MAN (in German): 136 00:07:55,033 --> 00:07:58,400 {\an8}REX (voiceover): Our dream would be an ice floe that is 137 00:07:58,433 --> 00:08:00,033 {\an7}thicker than one meter 20. 138 00:08:00,066 --> 00:08:03,933 {\an7}Just a stable island of ice. 139 00:08:04,966 --> 00:08:05,966 {\an8}MAN (in German): 140 00:08:07,533 --> 00:08:08,800 {\an7}(speaking German): 141 00:08:08,833 --> 00:08:13,600 {\an8}NARRATOR: The team searches for days. 142 00:08:13,633 --> 00:08:15,266 {\an8}REX (in German): 143 00:08:18,133 --> 00:08:22,066 NARRATOR: But the ice floes are all too thin. 144 00:08:24,566 --> 00:08:28,233 {\an7}They're running out of options. 145 00:08:30,300 --> 00:08:31,633 SHUPE: This, this is interesting. 146 00:08:31,666 --> 00:08:34,633 {\an1}This whole area here looks... somewhat... 147 00:08:34,666 --> 00:08:36,833 {\an1}REX: Yeah. SHUPE: We'll look over here. 148 00:08:36,866 --> 00:08:38,933 See what we can find. Yup. 149 00:08:38,966 --> 00:08:41,066 {\an8}NARRATOR: Eventually, they spot a floe 150 00:08:41,100 --> 00:08:43,633 {\an7}that looks like it could be thicker. 151 00:08:48,100 --> 00:08:50,033 {\an1}So it first goes out 50 meters that way, 152 00:08:50,066 --> 00:08:51,900 and then we go, try to walk parallel 153 00:08:51,933 --> 00:08:54,366 {\an1}to Polarstern over there. 154 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:02,433 SHUPE: There are quite a few potential hazards out there. 155 00:09:04,566 --> 00:09:06,766 {\an1}How thick is the ice? 156 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:08,000 Is it stable? 157 00:09:08,033 --> 00:09:10,100 Is it safe? 158 00:09:16,033 --> 00:09:19,666 REX: Matt, this is Markus, Matt, this is Markus. 159 00:09:19,700 --> 00:09:22,766 {\an7}SHUPE (over radio): Markus... Matt. 160 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:26,633 {\an7}I think our, our thinnest ice was 70 centimeters, 161 00:09:26,666 --> 00:09:29,533 {\an7}and we've seen some up to multiple meters. 162 00:09:29,566 --> 00:09:32,933 {\an7}And there's quite an extensive area of that thicker ice. 163 00:09:32,966 --> 00:09:34,766 {\an8}REX: All right, Matt, thanks. 164 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:37,466 {\an1}That sounds great. 165 00:09:39,866 --> 00:09:42,266 NARRATOR: After days of uncertainty, 166 00:09:42,300 --> 00:09:45,500 {\an1}it's an enormous relief. 167 00:09:45,533 --> 00:09:48,833 ♪ ♪ 168 00:09:48,866 --> 00:09:50,933 {\an1}They've found their ice floe. 169 00:09:53,233 --> 00:09:56,000 {\an1}Now, as the ice starts to freeze around the ship... 170 00:09:57,600 --> 00:09:59,566 {\an1}...the real work can begin. 171 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:06,166 {\an8}♪ ♪ 172 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:08,333 {\an1}(helicopter whirring) 173 00:10:08,366 --> 00:10:11,400 {\an1}(indistinct chatter) 174 00:10:13,333 --> 00:10:16,000 NARRATOR: The team needs to unload 175 00:10:16,033 --> 00:10:18,033 {\an1}around a hundred tons of equipment 176 00:10:18,066 --> 00:10:21,333 {\an1}and set up bases out on the ice. 177 00:10:22,500 --> 00:10:26,200 {\an1}With just days remaining before the perpetual darkness 178 00:10:26,233 --> 00:10:29,266 {\an1}of Arctic winter arrives, 179 00:10:29,300 --> 00:10:32,333 {\an1}the pressure's on. 180 00:10:32,366 --> 00:10:34,500 FONG: Every day, we're looking out the window 181 00:10:34,533 --> 00:10:37,266 {\an1}and light is diminishing. 182 00:10:37,300 --> 00:10:38,466 {\an1}And it's a race against time. 183 00:10:38,500 --> 00:10:43,800 {\an1}(snowmobile running) 184 00:10:43,833 --> 00:10:45,000 NARRATOR: The plan is to build 185 00:10:45,033 --> 00:10:48,366 {\an1}five research stations they call ice cities 186 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:51,766 {\an1}up to a half-mile from the ship. 187 00:10:51,800 --> 00:10:54,833 ♪ ♪ 188 00:10:54,866 --> 00:10:56,966 {\an1}The cities and their cutting-edge equipment 189 00:10:57,000 --> 00:11:00,733 {\an1}will allow scientists to explore every aspect 190 00:11:00,766 --> 00:11:04,333 {\an1}of the Central Arctic at the same time, 191 00:11:04,366 --> 00:11:08,200 {\an1}and crucially, constantly monitor how each piece 192 00:11:08,233 --> 00:11:12,433 {\an1}of this complex puzzle affects all the others, 193 00:11:12,466 --> 00:11:14,700 {\an1}from high in the atmosphere 194 00:11:14,733 --> 00:11:18,100 to the ice and the deep oceans beneath. 195 00:11:19,500 --> 00:11:22,533 {\an7}A mile-and-a-half of data cables 196 00:11:22,566 --> 00:11:25,133 {\an7}and over three miles of power lines 197 00:11:25,166 --> 00:11:29,533 {\an7}connect the cities to the Polarstern. 198 00:11:29,566 --> 00:11:33,366 {\an7}Beyond is a network of more distant science sites, 199 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:37,333 {\an7}as well as almost 250 remote monitoring stations. 200 00:11:37,366 --> 00:11:40,200 {\an7}The entire operation 201 00:11:40,233 --> 00:11:42,933 {\an7}stretches across an area of around 202 00:11:42,966 --> 00:11:46,633 {\an7}two-and-a-half thousand square miles. 203 00:11:46,666 --> 00:11:48,400 ♪ ♪ 204 00:11:51,266 --> 00:11:56,233 (wind howling) 205 00:11:56,266 --> 00:11:58,733 {\an1}While the scientists work, 206 00:11:58,766 --> 00:12:02,300 {\an1}others keep watch. 207 00:12:05,966 --> 00:12:09,933 {\an1}There's one thing they're all concerned about. 208 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:15,766 {\an1}(ship horn blows) 209 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:21,533 {\an1}ESTHER HORVATH (voiceover): I'm standing there on this small hill at Met City, 210 00:12:21,566 --> 00:12:25,033 {\an7}on my very first polar bear guard duty. 211 00:12:25,066 --> 00:12:28,166 {\an7}MAN (over radio): Bridge, bridge... pack your stuff together. 212 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:29,600 {\an7}You have to evacuate. 213 00:12:29,633 --> 00:12:31,933 {\an1}HORVATH (voiceover): Suddenly, I hear from the bridge 214 00:12:31,966 --> 00:12:34,366 two polar bears are approaching us. 215 00:12:36,933 --> 00:12:41,033 {\an1}They are 1,000 meter away, 900 meter away, 216 00:12:41,066 --> 00:12:45,533 {\an1}and we all have to go back immediately. 217 00:12:45,566 --> 00:12:49,366 {\an8}In that second, I start to shout... 218 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:51,033 {\an8}(in scene): Stop doing what you're doing 219 00:12:51,066 --> 00:12:52,533 {\an7}and come to the Ski-Doo! 220 00:12:53,666 --> 00:12:55,833 (voiceover): Polar bears, if they are hungry, 221 00:12:55,866 --> 00:12:57,333 {\an1}they would hunt for a person. 222 00:12:57,366 --> 00:13:00,333 ♪ ♪ 223 00:13:00,366 --> 00:13:03,166 REX (voiceover): These huge animals can reach 224 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:05,633 {\an1}speeds of 40 kilometers per hour, 225 00:13:05,666 --> 00:13:06,842 {\an1}and everybody has to have that in mind. 226 00:13:06,866 --> 00:13:08,800 {\an1}Once a polar bear is close, 227 00:13:08,833 --> 00:13:13,100 {\an1}it can be at the person in seconds. 228 00:13:13,133 --> 00:13:16,266 {\an1}(ship horn blowing) 229 00:13:16,300 --> 00:13:19,200 {\an1}HORVATH (voiceover): I am the only person who have a rifle, 230 00:13:19,233 --> 00:13:21,866 {\an1}and am I going to be able to use it, 231 00:13:21,900 --> 00:13:25,966 {\an1}protecting all the people around me? 232 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:27,600 {\an1}And that's a lot of people there. 233 00:13:31,433 --> 00:13:33,009 {\an7}SHUPE (on radio): Bridge, bridge... Matt. 234 00:13:33,033 --> 00:13:34,600 {\an7}We are actually really full here. 235 00:13:37,300 --> 00:13:39,666 {\an7}We are going to try to load everybody on these. 236 00:13:39,700 --> 00:13:41,666 {\an7}It's going to be really full, 237 00:13:41,700 --> 00:13:43,609 {\an7}but we'll try to make it out with what we have here. 238 00:13:43,633 --> 00:13:46,500 {\an1}(ship horn blowing) 239 00:13:46,533 --> 00:13:48,800 Guys, hurry up! 240 00:13:48,833 --> 00:13:51,033 {\an1}HORVATH (voiceover): In my mind, I don't care 241 00:13:51,066 --> 00:13:55,166 {\an1}how small the sleds are... Everybody has to fit. 242 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:58,733 {\an1}We all have to go back now. 243 00:13:58,766 --> 00:14:01,300 ♪ ♪ 244 00:14:09,266 --> 00:14:14,766 ♪ ♪ 245 00:14:17,666 --> 00:14:20,300 {\an7}As we all got on board... 246 00:14:20,333 --> 00:14:22,309 {\an7}GAUTE (over radio): Bridge, bridge, this is Gaute, over. 247 00:14:22,333 --> 00:14:25,200 {\an7}HORVATH (voiceover): That was when I saw them. 248 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:29,366 {\an7}MAN (over radio): This is bridge. 249 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:32,266 {\an8}GAUTE: Polar bear are at a hundred meters. 250 00:14:35,966 --> 00:14:37,309 {\an8}MAN: I will inform you when you have 251 00:14:37,333 --> 00:14:39,600 {\an7}the shot with the flare guns, yeah? 252 00:14:39,633 --> 00:14:41,066 {\an8}Where is Trude? 253 00:14:41,100 --> 00:14:44,233 {\an7}She is right next to me. 254 00:14:44,266 --> 00:14:46,200 {\an7}The main goal is to have everyone safe 255 00:14:46,233 --> 00:14:49,100 {\an8}and then scare the polar bears away. 256 00:14:51,566 --> 00:14:54,100 {\an7}We are invading their space. 257 00:14:55,633 --> 00:14:58,000 {\an8}(flares popping) 258 00:14:58,033 --> 00:14:59,733 {\an1}I don't want to harm them. 259 00:14:59,766 --> 00:15:02,366 (flares popping) 260 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:04,566 So it is 261 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:06,933 {\an1}so nice when they understand 262 00:15:06,966 --> 00:15:10,866 {\an1}that we are making too much noise for them. 263 00:15:15,633 --> 00:15:19,566 {\an8}(wind howling) 264 00:15:23,233 --> 00:15:27,500 NARRATOR: The darkness of Arctic winter arrives. 265 00:15:31,100 --> 00:15:32,933 {\an1}The team will not see the sun again 266 00:15:32,966 --> 00:15:36,133 {\an1}for almost five months. 267 00:15:36,166 --> 00:15:42,866 ♪ ♪ 268 00:15:51,100 --> 00:15:52,533 {\an1}(camera shutter clicks) 269 00:15:52,566 --> 00:15:58,166 HORVATH: It's an incredible experience to live, exist, and work here 270 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:00,800 {\an1}in the wintertime. 271 00:16:03,133 --> 00:16:04,100 (shutter clicks) 272 00:16:04,133 --> 00:16:07,733 {\an1}(shutter clicking) 273 00:16:07,766 --> 00:16:10,333 It looks unreal. 274 00:16:12,333 --> 00:16:14,266 ♪ ♪ 275 00:16:14,300 --> 00:16:17,066 {\an1}It feels like we are somewhere 276 00:16:17,100 --> 00:16:19,500 {\an1}else in the universe, this is not the Earth, 277 00:16:19,533 --> 00:16:22,233 {\an1}this is something completely different. 278 00:16:22,266 --> 00:16:27,200 ♪ ♪ 279 00:16:30,500 --> 00:16:31,800 FONG: The darkness? 280 00:16:31,833 --> 00:16:35,733 {\an1}Working in the dark for months on end, 281 00:16:35,766 --> 00:16:38,866 not really being able to see beyond 282 00:16:38,900 --> 00:16:40,366 {\an1}where your head lamp shines? 283 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:43,400 That's scary. 284 00:16:43,433 --> 00:16:45,366 {\an7}Yeah, that's pretty scary. 285 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:49,400 ♪ ♪ 286 00:16:52,900 --> 00:16:54,376 NARRATOR: After three weeks on the ice, 287 00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:58,000 {\an1}one of the most complex research camps, 288 00:16:58,033 --> 00:17:01,300 {\an1}Met City, is up and running. 289 00:17:01,333 --> 00:17:03,700 {\an1}All systems green. 290 00:17:03,733 --> 00:17:06,566 {\an1}The tower is alive today. 291 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:11,733 {\an1}(people speaking on radio) 292 00:17:16,466 --> 00:17:20,000 {\an1}Our tower here is about 11 meters tall, 293 00:17:20,033 --> 00:17:24,733 {\an1}and this can tell us about the turbulent exchange of heat, 294 00:17:24,766 --> 00:17:26,366 of energy, 295 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:28,700 of moisture at the surface. 296 00:17:31,500 --> 00:17:33,333 NARRATOR: Such detailed data 297 00:17:33,366 --> 00:17:36,033 has never been captured year-round 298 00:17:36,066 --> 00:17:38,433 {\an1}in the Central Arctic before. 299 00:17:39,866 --> 00:17:42,066 SHUPE: We need to understand what the sea ice 300 00:17:42,100 --> 00:17:44,366 {\an1}is experiencing and how that affects 301 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:47,366 {\an1}the melting of the sea ice or the freezing of the sea ice. 302 00:17:49,466 --> 00:17:51,166 The Arctic ice 303 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:53,533 {\an1}is melting, it's retreating, 304 00:17:53,566 --> 00:17:56,966 {\an1}and we want to understand why that ice is changing. 305 00:17:59,166 --> 00:18:03,633 NARRATOR: Today, sea ice in the summertime covers only half the area 306 00:18:03,666 --> 00:18:06,966 {\an1}it did just 40 years ago, 307 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:10,300 {\an1}and the decline is accelerating. 308 00:18:10,333 --> 00:18:12,733 {\an1}Only some of the reasons are known. 309 00:18:12,766 --> 00:18:17,200 ♪ ♪ 310 00:18:17,233 --> 00:18:21,000 SHUPE: Decades ago, when there was more extensive ice cover, 311 00:18:21,033 --> 00:18:23,166 {\an1}a lot of the sunlight that comes in in the summertime 312 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:26,066 {\an1}would just reflect back off that really bright, white surface 313 00:18:26,100 --> 00:18:28,466 {\an1}and go back to space. 314 00:18:28,500 --> 00:18:32,533 {\an1}Now we have progressively less and less sea ice, 315 00:18:32,566 --> 00:18:34,366 {\an1}and that exposes more ocean. 316 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:35,933 {\an7}And that open ocean is dark. 317 00:18:35,966 --> 00:18:37,766 {\an7}It absorbs the sunlight, 318 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:41,166 {\an7}and therefore warms up the ocean and melts even more ice. 319 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:45,633 NARRATOR: This feedback loop is a major reason 320 00:18:45,666 --> 00:18:47,800 {\an1}why the Arctic is now warming 321 00:18:47,833 --> 00:18:51,700 {\an1}at least twice as fast as the rest of the planet. 322 00:18:51,733 --> 00:18:54,566 ♪ ♪ 323 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:58,500 {\an1}But it's not the only factor. 324 00:18:58,533 --> 00:19:01,166 Already, Met City is shedding new light 325 00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:05,800 {\an1}on another potentially powerful warming influence. 326 00:19:05,833 --> 00:19:08,666 SHUPE: Clouds are a big player in the Arctic system, 327 00:19:08,700 --> 00:19:11,666 {\an1}as they are in the whole global system. 328 00:19:11,700 --> 00:19:12,833 On the one hand, 329 00:19:12,866 --> 00:19:14,966 {\an1}they shade the surface from the sun, right? 330 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:16,233 {\an1}So they cool the surface. 331 00:19:16,266 --> 00:19:18,666 {\an1}On the other hand, they serve as a blanket 332 00:19:18,700 --> 00:19:21,666 {\an1}and they trap the energy at the Earth's surface. 333 00:19:21,700 --> 00:19:24,400 {\an1}And it gets really interesting in the Arctic, 334 00:19:24,433 --> 00:19:27,600 {\an1}because during parts of the year, there is no sun. 335 00:19:27,633 --> 00:19:30,766 It's dark for four months straight. 336 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:32,966 {\an1}And so the clouds are only serving as a blanket. 337 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:36,200 (wind howling) 338 00:19:36,233 --> 00:19:38,233 {\an1}What we're seeing is that in polar winter, 339 00:19:38,266 --> 00:19:41,933 {\an1}there's actually a lot more thick cloud than I expected. 340 00:19:41,966 --> 00:19:45,266 {\an1}It's slowing the winter sea ice growth. 341 00:19:45,300 --> 00:19:48,066 {\an1}That means less ice going into spring and summer, 342 00:19:48,100 --> 00:19:49,966 {\an1}which in turn makes it more vulnerable 343 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:51,533 {\an1}to the melting season. 344 00:19:54,300 --> 00:19:56,933 NARRATOR: The clouds are one piece of the complex puzzle 345 00:19:56,966 --> 00:20:00,666 {\an1}the expedition is trying to put together. 346 00:20:00,700 --> 00:20:03,866 ♪ ♪ 347 00:20:03,900 --> 00:20:08,500 {\an1}Another is the hidden world under the ice. 348 00:20:11,433 --> 00:20:14,800 FONG: It doesn't look like much, I mean, right, at the surface? 349 00:20:14,833 --> 00:20:17,366 {\an1}You're, like, it's just snow, it's quiet. 350 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:23,200 {\an1}But actually, below the ice, there's a flurry of activity. 351 00:20:23,233 --> 00:20:29,200 {\an1}(chainsaw revving) 352 00:20:29,233 --> 00:20:32,266 {\an1}I'm used to making lab experiments 353 00:20:32,300 --> 00:20:34,833 {\an1}with a pipetter and... Delicate work. 354 00:20:34,866 --> 00:20:38,566 {\an7}(chainsaw revving) 355 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:43,766 {\an1}And here I am with a 60-centimeter-long chainsaw. 356 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:44,766 (chainsaw stops) 357 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:47,900 {\an1}(indistinct chatter) 358 00:20:47,933 --> 00:20:52,233 ♪ ♪ 359 00:20:55,466 --> 00:20:58,033 {\an1}Some of the big outstanding questions are, 360 00:20:58,066 --> 00:21:01,133 {\an1}what are the activities of organisms in polar night? 361 00:21:01,166 --> 00:21:03,433 {\an1}From the Central Arctic, 362 00:21:03,466 --> 00:21:06,833 {\an1}there are basically no measurements whatsoever. 363 00:21:06,866 --> 00:21:08,900 {\an1}So this would be the first chance in history 364 00:21:08,933 --> 00:21:10,500 {\an1}for us to do that work. 365 00:21:10,533 --> 00:21:14,200 ♪ ♪ 366 00:21:14,233 --> 00:21:16,233 NARRATOR: This device can collect water samples 367 00:21:16,266 --> 00:21:17,966 {\an1}at specific depths, 368 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:21,366 {\an1}down to just above the ocean floor... 369 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:23,600 {\an7}MAN (speaking German): 370 00:21:24,966 --> 00:21:29,066 NARRATOR: two-and-a-half miles below. 371 00:21:29,100 --> 00:21:30,200 ♪ ♪ 372 00:21:30,233 --> 00:21:31,233 WOMAN: What? 373 00:21:34,333 --> 00:21:36,500 FONG: At this place in the world, 374 00:21:36,533 --> 00:21:38,266 {\an1}at this time of year, 375 00:21:38,300 --> 00:21:41,866 {\an1}there's never been data like this. 376 00:21:41,900 --> 00:21:44,533 {\an1}And that's incredible, and so every time 377 00:21:44,566 --> 00:21:46,300 {\an1}we put a piece of equipment out 378 00:21:46,333 --> 00:21:47,900 and we collect a sample successfully, 379 00:21:47,933 --> 00:21:53,400 {\an1}we're the only people that have been able to do it. 380 00:21:53,433 --> 00:21:58,233 FONG: Okay, so Jien, you're done for D.I.C. on one. 381 00:21:58,266 --> 00:22:01,366 {\an1}Uh, Haylun, that means you can do salinity on number one. 382 00:22:03,866 --> 00:22:08,300 NARRATOR: What they're finding is a huge surprise. 383 00:22:08,333 --> 00:22:10,566 {\an1}FONG (voiceover): I think winter in general is thought of 384 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:14,266 {\an1}as a time of hibernation or low metabolic activity. 385 00:22:14,300 --> 00:22:15,900 {\an1}But what we're seeing is that organisms 386 00:22:15,933 --> 00:22:18,500 {\an1}have adapted over millennia to this, 387 00:22:18,533 --> 00:22:20,500 what we consider an extreme environment. 388 00:22:20,533 --> 00:22:24,233 ♪ ♪ 389 00:22:24,266 --> 00:22:27,400 {\an1}In one milliliter of seawater, 390 00:22:27,433 --> 00:22:30,200 {\an1}which is basically, like, a teaspoon of seawater, 391 00:22:30,233 --> 00:22:32,133 {\an1}are one million bacterial cells. 392 00:22:32,166 --> 00:22:37,800 And from there, the diversity is extraordinary. 393 00:22:39,233 --> 00:22:43,200 NARRATOR: The team finds that phytoplankton, 394 00:22:43,233 --> 00:22:46,366 {\an1}plant-like organisms that rely on the sun for their energy, 395 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:49,700 {\an1}are still present in winter, primed and ready for spring. 396 00:22:51,533 --> 00:22:54,533 {\an1}They also discover tiny zooplankton in their thousands... 397 00:22:54,566 --> 00:22:59,300 {\an1}far more abundant and active than they'd imagined. 398 00:22:59,333 --> 00:23:01,333 ♪ ♪ 399 00:23:01,366 --> 00:23:05,833 {\an1}This thriving ecosystem is vital for our planet. 400 00:23:05,866 --> 00:23:10,066 {\an1}Globally, phytoplankton produce around half the oxygen 401 00:23:10,100 --> 00:23:15,533 {\an1}we breathe and absorb vast amounts of carbon dioxide, 402 00:23:15,566 --> 00:23:17,600 {\an1}while the zooplankton that feed on them 403 00:23:17,633 --> 00:23:20,866 {\an1}help lock that carbon away in the depths. 404 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:24,466 {\an1}It's partly why the oceans absorb 405 00:23:24,500 --> 00:23:27,233 {\an1}around a quarter of the CO2 produced 406 00:23:27,266 --> 00:23:29,900 {\an1}by the burning of fossil fuels. 407 00:23:29,933 --> 00:23:33,433 {\an1}For our climate, these tiny creatures play 408 00:23:33,466 --> 00:23:35,700 a crucial role. 409 00:23:39,866 --> 00:23:42,900 FONG: Given that the Arctic is experiencing so much change, 410 00:23:42,933 --> 00:23:44,833 {\an1}we need to understand what impact 411 00:23:44,866 --> 00:23:48,000 {\an1}reductions in sea ice and global warming is having 412 00:23:48,033 --> 00:23:50,100 {\an1}on these organisms and how these components 413 00:23:50,133 --> 00:23:51,800 {\an1}of the climate interact. 414 00:23:59,566 --> 00:24:03,000 NARRATOR: Almost two months into their yearlong mission, 415 00:24:03,033 --> 00:24:07,600 {\an1}the Transpolar Drift has carried the Polarstern 416 00:24:07,633 --> 00:24:10,600 {\an1}over a hundred miles deeper into the Arctic. 417 00:24:12,266 --> 00:24:14,200 {\an1}HOHLE (over radio): Bridge, bridge, Trude. 418 00:24:14,233 --> 00:24:16,366 Trude, go ahead. 419 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:17,566 HOHLE: I'm in position, stern. 420 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:19,600 Thank you, enjoy your watch. 421 00:24:23,366 --> 00:24:27,166 {\an1}(snowmobile engine humming) 422 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:30,000 HOHLE: Do we have a ladder here? 423 00:24:30,033 --> 00:24:33,633 {\an1}(wind howling, snow crunching) 424 00:24:37,033 --> 00:24:40,533 {\an1}(people speaking on radio) 425 00:24:40,566 --> 00:24:43,166 HOHLE: (bleep). Oh, my God. 426 00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:46,033 (ice rumbling) 427 00:24:46,066 --> 00:24:51,566 {\an1}The ice is moving a lot. 428 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:54,700 {\an1}Bridge, bridge, for your information, 429 00:24:54,733 --> 00:24:57,266 {\an1}the ice here has really started to move. 430 00:24:57,300 --> 00:25:01,500 {\an7}We noticed by the sound and are monitoring it now. 431 00:25:01,533 --> 00:25:07,033 {\an7}We managed to save the ladder, which is now on our side. 432 00:25:07,066 --> 00:25:08,766 {\an1}(ice rumbling and creaking) 433 00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:10,233 HORVATH: It's so loud. 434 00:25:10,266 --> 00:25:15,333 {\an1}It sounds like a, an engine as it starts. 435 00:25:15,366 --> 00:25:19,300 (voiceover): It is like an earthquake under your feet, 436 00:25:19,333 --> 00:25:21,766 {\an1}but there is nowhere to run. 437 00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:25,066 You really feel how fragile you are. 438 00:25:27,366 --> 00:25:30,100 {\an7}It's a frightening experience. 439 00:25:32,066 --> 00:25:33,376 HOHLE: Let's hope we find a way over. 440 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:35,200 (rumbling stops) 441 00:25:35,233 --> 00:25:36,666 {\an1}Oh, it's stopped. 442 00:25:36,700 --> 00:25:39,066 Bridge, bridge, Trude. 443 00:25:40,033 --> 00:25:41,566 {\an1}MAN (over radio): Go ahead, Trude. 444 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:42,933 HOHLE: Ice has stopped moving 445 00:25:42,966 --> 00:25:47,266 {\an1}and it's completely silent here in the Arctic again. 446 00:25:49,500 --> 00:25:51,866 SHUPE: This is stress on the ice. 447 00:25:51,900 --> 00:25:53,966 {\an1}This is the winds and the currents in the ocean 448 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:56,100 {\an1}causing pressure in the ice, and eventually, 449 00:25:56,133 --> 00:25:57,666 {\an1}the ice just lets go. 450 00:25:57,700 --> 00:25:59,500 {\an1}There's internal pressure and it breaks. 451 00:25:59,533 --> 00:26:01,200 (radio chatter) 452 00:26:01,233 --> 00:26:03,633 (wind howling) 453 00:26:03,666 --> 00:26:07,000 NARRATOR: And those stresses are intensified 454 00:26:07,033 --> 00:26:09,633 {\an1}by the arrival of a violent storm. 455 00:26:09,666 --> 00:26:13,200 (wind howling) 456 00:26:20,300 --> 00:26:22,966 {\an1}Cracks in the ice open up, 457 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:28,333 some big enough to wreck the entire base. 458 00:26:28,366 --> 00:26:31,433 {\an8}HANS HANOLD: There is one crack behind Met City. 459 00:26:32,300 --> 00:26:34,066 {\an7}We've lost the power, huh? 460 00:26:34,100 --> 00:26:36,666 {\an8}Yeah. 461 00:26:36,700 --> 00:26:38,966 SHUPE: It's knocked out our power supply. 462 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:42,200 {\an1}It's taken down our measurements at Met City. 463 00:26:42,233 --> 00:26:43,866 {\an1}We have to get back out there. 464 00:26:43,900 --> 00:26:46,533 {\an1}We have to get the power hooked up again, so that we can 465 00:26:46,566 --> 00:26:48,166 {\an1}continue making our measurements. 466 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:51,633 {\an1}REX: Goal of operation, really, 467 00:26:51,666 --> 00:26:53,333 is to rescue 468 00:26:53,366 --> 00:26:55,400 the cables so that we don't 469 00:26:55,433 --> 00:26:56,600 {\an1}lose them. 470 00:26:56,633 --> 00:26:57,966 WOMAN: So we prepare the kayak? 471 00:26:58,000 --> 00:26:58,966 {\an3}REX: Yep. 472 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:01,100 {\an1}All right! 473 00:27:01,133 --> 00:27:03,733 (engine running) 474 00:27:03,766 --> 00:27:08,000 {\an8}(wind roaring) 475 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:12,366 {\an8}WOMAN: All good? Yeah. 476 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:13,400 {\an8}Team Kayak? 477 00:27:13,433 --> 00:27:14,466 {\an1}(indistinct chatter) 478 00:27:14,500 --> 00:27:16,500 NARRATOR: The first thing they need to do 479 00:27:16,533 --> 00:27:18,133 {\an1}is find out if the cable 480 00:27:18,166 --> 00:27:21,200 {\an1}is still connected to the ice cities. 481 00:27:21,233 --> 00:27:22,633 (wind roaring) 482 00:27:25,233 --> 00:27:26,200 {\an7}WOMAN (over radio): All right, 483 00:27:26,233 --> 00:27:28,033 {\an7}the connectors have been ripped off, 484 00:27:28,066 --> 00:27:31,000 {\an7}so the other half is probably in the water. 485 00:27:31,033 --> 00:27:33,100 {\an7}We can't reach it, we can't see it. 486 00:27:33,133 --> 00:27:34,213 {\an7}MAN (over radio): Copy that. 487 00:27:36,333 --> 00:27:39,433 NARRATOR: With the power cable hanging deep into the ocean, 488 00:27:39,466 --> 00:27:40,866 {\an1}they'll need to retrieve it 489 00:27:40,900 --> 00:27:43,266 {\an1}by hauling it out with a snowmobile. 490 00:27:43,300 --> 00:27:45,033 {\an1}HANOLD: Slowly, slowly! 491 00:27:45,066 --> 00:27:47,700 Hey, stop, stop! 492 00:27:47,733 --> 00:27:51,066 {\an1}There is something else hanging here. 493 00:27:51,100 --> 00:27:53,600 {\an1}(speaks inaudibly) 494 00:27:53,633 --> 00:27:55,066 Yeah. 495 00:27:55,100 --> 00:27:58,066 {\an1}(snowmobile engine revs) 496 00:28:05,100 --> 00:28:06,766 {\an1}Okay, we are very close. 497 00:28:10,233 --> 00:28:12,866 {\an1}Ah, this is the end. 498 00:28:12,900 --> 00:28:14,166 This is the end. 499 00:28:15,566 --> 00:28:17,466 (laughs) 500 00:28:17,500 --> 00:28:19,433 Well done, guys! 501 00:28:19,466 --> 00:28:21,333 Excellent. 502 00:28:23,933 --> 00:28:27,466 NARRATOR: With the cable saved, the team can restore power 503 00:28:27,500 --> 00:28:30,866 {\an1}to the ice cities and get the science 504 00:28:30,900 --> 00:28:34,500 {\an1}back up and running. 505 00:28:39,633 --> 00:28:42,900 (wind howling) 506 00:28:49,366 --> 00:28:50,633 NANDAN: I don't know if I am 507 00:28:50,666 --> 00:28:53,666 {\an1}the first Indian to walk on frozen ocean waters, 508 00:28:53,700 --> 00:28:54,933 but, at least, 509 00:28:54,966 --> 00:28:58,100 {\an1}for this expedition, I am the only Indian. 510 00:29:01,633 --> 00:29:04,633 {\an1}My name is Vishnu Nandan. 511 00:29:04,666 --> 00:29:07,733 ♪ ♪ 512 00:29:07,766 --> 00:29:09,733 {\an1}(indistinct chatter) 513 00:29:09,766 --> 00:29:11,142 Vishnu means preserver of the planet, 514 00:29:11,166 --> 00:29:12,466 {\an1}and that's my goal. 515 00:29:12,500 --> 00:29:16,233 {\an1}I'm here to protect the planet. 516 00:29:16,266 --> 00:29:18,866 {\an1}To every, to protect everyone. 517 00:29:21,033 --> 00:29:22,633 Let's pull it across. 518 00:29:22,666 --> 00:29:24,533 We don't want to block the way with this. 519 00:29:24,566 --> 00:29:26,400 {\an1}Okay, yeah, I mean, 520 00:29:26,433 --> 00:29:28,933 {\an1}we can at least bring the cables this direction. 521 00:29:28,966 --> 00:29:31,542 {\an1}JULIENNE STROEVE (voiceover): I've been going up to the Arctic region 522 00:29:31,566 --> 00:29:35,600 {\an1}for almost 30 years now, 523 00:29:35,633 --> 00:29:37,866 {\an1}but it's always been during daylight. 524 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:42,800 {\an1}Doing it over winter, 525 00:29:42,833 --> 00:29:44,500 yeah, that's a really unique experience 526 00:29:44,533 --> 00:29:45,909 {\an7}that many people, even if you're a scientist 527 00:29:45,933 --> 00:29:47,033 {\an7}working in the Arctic, 528 00:29:47,066 --> 00:29:48,346 {\an8}you don't get to experience that. 529 00:29:50,233 --> 00:29:54,266 {\an1}And honestly, you feel like you're walking on the moon. 530 00:29:54,300 --> 00:29:57,266 {\an4}STROEVE: That's amazing! (radio chatter) 531 00:29:57,300 --> 00:30:00,600 {\an1}Hi, fox! 532 00:30:00,633 --> 00:30:02,033 {\an1}That is very cool. 533 00:30:02,066 --> 00:30:03,900 {\an1}My first polar fox. 534 00:30:03,933 --> 00:30:05,900 {\an1}That's exciting. 535 00:30:05,933 --> 00:30:07,800 {\an1}Yay. 536 00:30:07,833 --> 00:30:11,600 Okay, check if my instrument's working now. 537 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:18,733 NARRATOR: Julienne and Vishnu are running the Remote Sensing City. 538 00:30:18,766 --> 00:30:21,766 {\an1}They're here to answer one of the most 539 00:30:21,800 --> 00:30:24,200 {\an1}fundamental questions of all: 540 00:30:24,233 --> 00:30:28,000 {\an1}Just how much ice is in the Arctic Ocean? 541 00:30:28,033 --> 00:30:32,000 ♪ ♪ 542 00:30:32,033 --> 00:30:35,600 STROEVE: We have over 40 years of satellite measurements 543 00:30:35,633 --> 00:30:37,233 {\an1}telling us how much of the Arctic Ocean 544 00:30:37,266 --> 00:30:38,700 {\an1}is covered by sea ice, 545 00:30:38,733 --> 00:30:40,433 {\an1}but what we've really lacked 546 00:30:40,466 --> 00:30:44,266 is knowing how thick the ice is. 547 00:30:44,300 --> 00:30:46,100 NARRATOR: The problem is that satellites 548 00:30:46,133 --> 00:30:48,833 {\an1}can't differentiate between the ice 549 00:30:48,866 --> 00:30:52,200 and what's just snow on top of it. 550 00:30:52,233 --> 00:30:55,266 {\an1}By testing the same technology at the surface, 551 00:30:55,300 --> 00:30:56,442 where they can compare the results 552 00:30:56,466 --> 00:30:57,642 {\an1}against physical measurements, 553 00:30:57,666 --> 00:31:02,333 {\an1}they hope to revolutionize our ability 554 00:31:02,366 --> 00:31:04,600 {\an1}to monitor sea ice from space. 555 00:31:07,633 --> 00:31:10,100 STROEVE: It would allow us to actually map not just 556 00:31:10,133 --> 00:31:11,500 {\an1}the spatial extent of the ice, 557 00:31:11,533 --> 00:31:15,533 {\an1}but the actual ice volume in the Arctic every single day. 558 00:31:17,033 --> 00:31:19,733 NARRATOR: As they begin to analyze their results, 559 00:31:19,766 --> 00:31:22,700 it confirms what they suspected: 560 00:31:22,733 --> 00:31:28,700 {\an1}satellites have been vastly overestimating ice thickness. 561 00:31:28,733 --> 00:31:31,033 {\an1}It will take time to turn their data into new, 562 00:31:31,066 --> 00:31:35,400 {\an1}more accurate predictions, but it's a major breakthrough. 563 00:31:35,433 --> 00:31:38,733 STROEVE: Collecting the data is really key, 564 00:31:38,766 --> 00:31:41,466 {\an1}and will hopefully help the public and policymakers 565 00:31:41,500 --> 00:31:43,766 {\an1}understand how quickly the Arctic is transforming 566 00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:48,800 {\an1}and that we need to do something before it's too late. 567 00:31:48,833 --> 00:31:52,466 (wind howling) 568 00:32:00,433 --> 00:32:02,466 NARRATOR: As a new year begins, 569 00:32:02,500 --> 00:32:05,533 {\an1}the team is less than 200 miles from the North Pole. 570 00:32:05,566 --> 00:32:10,700 ♪ ♪ 571 00:32:10,733 --> 00:32:14,300 {\an1}They're due to receive vital supplies, equipment, 572 00:32:14,333 --> 00:32:17,666 {\an1}and a new team of scientists 573 00:32:17,700 --> 00:32:22,733 {\an1}before the ice becomes too thick to reach them. 574 00:32:22,766 --> 00:32:25,466 {\an1}But the Russian icebreaker entrusted with the task 575 00:32:25,500 --> 00:32:29,966 {\an1}is hundreds of miles away, struggling through thick ice. 576 00:32:49,700 --> 00:32:51,166 {\an1}(clicks mouse and key) 577 00:32:52,866 --> 00:32:55,866 AMY MACFARLANE: As soon as the icebreaker started to move through the ice, 578 00:32:55,900 --> 00:33:00,700 {\an7}I got the sense of how remote the area we're going to is. 579 00:33:00,733 --> 00:33:01,976 {\an8}I mean, we're traveling for weeks 580 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:06,133 to get to this miraculous haven in the north. 581 00:33:06,166 --> 00:33:09,200 (ice churning) 582 00:33:13,333 --> 00:33:16,666 NARRATOR: No icebreaker has ever tried to venture so far north 583 00:33:16,700 --> 00:33:20,200 {\an1}in the middle of winter before. 584 00:33:20,233 --> 00:33:23,300 {\an1}(ice churning, crunching) 585 00:33:25,266 --> 00:33:28,566 (metal clanging) 586 00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:31,833 (ship stops) 587 00:33:32,733 --> 00:33:37,400 {\an8}ALEXANDR ERPULEV (speaking Russian): 588 00:33:44,066 --> 00:33:46,000 ♪ ♪ 589 00:33:46,033 --> 00:33:48,233 (ice churning) 590 00:34:00,366 --> 00:34:03,566 (metal clanging) 591 00:34:32,733 --> 00:34:35,933 {\an8}♪ ♪ 592 00:34:37,533 --> 00:34:40,833 NARRATOR: If the supply ship has to turn back, 593 00:34:40,866 --> 00:34:45,100 {\an1}the team here could be stranded for months, 594 00:34:45,133 --> 00:34:51,066 {\an1}and they'll be dangerously low on fuel for heat and power. 595 00:34:52,666 --> 00:34:55,800 {\an7}It's affecting the morale of the scientists onboard. 596 00:34:58,933 --> 00:35:01,900 {\an1}We are kind of stuck here. 597 00:35:01,933 --> 00:35:08,733 ♪ ♪ 598 00:35:08,766 --> 00:35:12,833 (wind howling) 599 00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:24,233 {\an1}(indistinct chatter) 600 00:35:24,266 --> 00:35:26,033 MAN (on radio): There, there to the east. 601 00:35:26,066 --> 00:35:28,433 {\an1}Is that the Dranitsyn? 602 00:35:31,333 --> 00:35:34,966 {\an8}♪ ♪ 603 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:37,200 {\an8}NARRATOR: After a grueling monthlong journey, 604 00:35:37,233 --> 00:35:39,900 {\an1}and with the first signs of sun returning, 605 00:35:39,933 --> 00:35:45,866 {\an1}the supply ship, Dranitsyn, finally makes it. 606 00:35:45,900 --> 00:35:51,800 ♪ ♪ 607 00:35:51,833 --> 00:35:53,000 {\an1}(indistinct chatter) 608 00:35:53,033 --> 00:35:54,766 {\an1}Okay, team, we walk. 609 00:35:54,800 --> 00:35:57,700 {\an1}And we follow them. 610 00:36:04,100 --> 00:36:05,300 MACFARLANE: At one point, 611 00:36:05,333 --> 00:36:06,666 {\an1}I didn't think we'd be here. 612 00:36:06,700 --> 00:36:09,200 {\an1}But it's happened. 613 00:36:11,133 --> 00:36:12,166 It's incredible. 614 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:15,766 {\an8}♪ ♪ 615 00:36:20,300 --> 00:36:24,200 NARRATOR: With the new scientists and supplies on board, 616 00:36:24,233 --> 00:36:26,700 {\an1}the mission is back on track. 617 00:36:26,733 --> 00:36:31,866 ♪ ♪ 618 00:36:41,433 --> 00:36:44,133 (wind howling) 619 00:36:51,366 --> 00:36:56,733 ♪ ♪ 620 00:37:01,733 --> 00:37:03,833 NARRATOR: As the sun returns, 621 00:37:03,866 --> 00:37:08,400 {\an1}the Arctic begins to transform once again. 622 00:37:08,433 --> 00:37:09,533 {\an1}For the scientists, 623 00:37:09,566 --> 00:37:12,533 {\an1}it brings a whole new world to explore. 624 00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:23,200 ♪ ♪ 625 00:37:23,233 --> 00:37:25,800 {\an1}Welcome to the office. 626 00:37:28,733 --> 00:37:32,833 ♪ ♪ 627 00:37:34,666 --> 00:37:39,400 MACFARLANE: For me, snow tells a story. 628 00:37:39,433 --> 00:37:43,000 {\an7}We're trying to understand, in this scale, 629 00:37:43,033 --> 00:37:44,833 {\an1}how it's changing, and eventually link it 630 00:37:44,866 --> 00:37:46,800 to the whole of the Arctic snowpack. 631 00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:50,866 We start one snowflake at a time. 632 00:37:50,900 --> 00:37:54,433 ♪ ♪ 633 00:37:58,766 --> 00:38:02,266 {\an7}So at the surface today, we have -20 degrees. 634 00:38:02,300 --> 00:38:04,833 {\an8}But then just 17 centimeters below, 635 00:38:04,866 --> 00:38:07,833 {\an7}we have minus nine degrees. 636 00:38:07,866 --> 00:38:10,700 {\an8}So it has a really big influence. 637 00:38:10,733 --> 00:38:12,800 (sniffs): Oh! 638 00:38:12,833 --> 00:38:18,733 NARRATOR: The snow here is acting as a major insulator, 639 00:38:18,766 --> 00:38:20,700 {\an1}trapping heat from the warm ocean in the ice 640 00:38:20,733 --> 00:38:24,033 {\an1}and slowing its escape to the atmosphere. 641 00:38:24,066 --> 00:38:27,933 {\an1}With scientists predicting that a warming Arctic 642 00:38:27,966 --> 00:38:33,000 {\an1}will see more precipitation, which means more snowfall, 643 00:38:33,033 --> 00:38:35,933 {\an1}understanding why it's having such a dramatic effect 644 00:38:35,966 --> 00:38:37,800 is crucial. 645 00:38:37,833 --> 00:38:40,366 {\an1}Using a CT scanner, 646 00:38:40,400 --> 00:38:43,600 {\an1}the team can study the structure of Arctic snow 647 00:38:43,633 --> 00:38:45,300 {\an1}in minute detail. 648 00:38:45,333 --> 00:38:47,200 MACFARLANE: So, at the top, 649 00:38:47,233 --> 00:38:49,076 {\an1}these are all really compact and tightly together. 650 00:38:49,100 --> 00:38:51,633 And then as you move further down, 651 00:38:51,666 --> 00:38:54,933 {\an1}you come across these large crystals. 652 00:38:54,966 --> 00:38:59,766 {\an1}I've never seen these crystals quite so big before. 653 00:38:59,800 --> 00:39:02,300 You can start to see more and more air. 654 00:39:02,333 --> 00:39:03,700 {\an1}The blue would be an air gap. 655 00:39:03,733 --> 00:39:06,733 ♪ ♪ 656 00:39:08,333 --> 00:39:11,533 NARRATOR: The scans reveal how during winter and early spring, 657 00:39:11,566 --> 00:39:13,566 {\an1}large crystals in the snow 658 00:39:13,600 --> 00:39:17,866 trap more air, keeping the ice warm 659 00:39:17,900 --> 00:39:19,933 and inhibiting the growth of new ice. 660 00:39:19,966 --> 00:39:21,800 {\an1}This may seem strange, 661 00:39:21,833 --> 00:39:26,500 {\an1}but under certain conditions, more snow can mean less sea ice. 662 00:39:32,100 --> 00:39:35,466 {\an1}The Arctic is now in full transition. 663 00:39:35,500 --> 00:39:38,133 {\an1}With just over two weeks between first sunrise 664 00:39:38,166 --> 00:39:39,466 {\an1}and 24-hour daylight, 665 00:39:39,500 --> 00:39:41,866 every day there's more opportunity 666 00:39:41,900 --> 00:39:45,800 for one team to take to the skies. 667 00:39:45,833 --> 00:39:46,909 JOHN CASSANO: Let's do this. 668 00:39:46,933 --> 00:39:47,966 GINA JOZEF: Let's do it! 669 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:51,266 {\an1}Three, two, one, go! 670 00:39:51,300 --> 00:39:52,800 (whirring) 671 00:39:52,833 --> 00:39:53,866 Hell, yeah! 672 00:39:54,966 --> 00:39:56,066 Whooo! 673 00:39:56,100 --> 00:39:57,866 {\an8}CASSANO: Way to go, team drone. 674 00:39:57,900 --> 00:39:59,466 {\an7}JOZEF (laughing): We did it, whooo! 675 00:39:59,500 --> 00:40:02,166 {\an1}First flight, success! 676 00:40:06,100 --> 00:40:08,200 CASSANO: The plane will spiral up 677 00:40:08,233 --> 00:40:10,333 {\an7}from near the surface up to 1,000 meters. 678 00:40:10,366 --> 00:40:13,933 {\an7}And we're measuring the state of the atmosphere, 679 00:40:13,966 --> 00:40:19,166 {\an1}so that's the temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind. 680 00:40:19,200 --> 00:40:21,400 {\an1}It is flying really well. 681 00:40:21,433 --> 00:40:23,500 I am so happy. 682 00:40:24,733 --> 00:40:28,466 NARRATOR: And right away, there are exciting findings. 683 00:40:30,066 --> 00:40:31,666 JOZEF: Here we have a plot of 684 00:40:31,700 --> 00:40:33,933 {\an4}the temperature, and the wind speed. Yeah. 685 00:40:33,966 --> 00:40:35,609 {\an7}And you can see that we have a really strong inversion 686 00:40:35,633 --> 00:40:39,033 {\an8}in the temperature around 200 687 00:40:39,066 --> 00:40:40,500 {\an7}to 300 meters, or... 688 00:40:40,533 --> 00:40:41,833 CASSANO: The first flight we did 689 00:40:41,866 --> 00:40:44,900 {\an1}had this real sharp temperature inversion, 690 00:40:44,933 --> 00:40:46,700 {\an1}where the temperature increases with height. 691 00:40:46,733 --> 00:40:47,776 {\an1}It's the opposite of what we normally see 692 00:40:47,800 --> 00:40:50,100 where we live. 693 00:40:50,133 --> 00:40:53,300 NARRATOR: This phenomenon, characteristic of the poles, 694 00:40:53,333 --> 00:40:58,766 {\an1}is caused by the icy surface cooling the air just above it. 695 00:40:58,800 --> 00:41:00,500 CASSANO: What's interesting to me is that 696 00:41:00,533 --> 00:41:02,833 {\an1}the temperature inversions are often associated with 697 00:41:02,866 --> 00:41:06,566 {\an1}this core of really fast winds right near 698 00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:08,366 {\an7}the surface of the Earth, 699 00:41:08,400 --> 00:41:11,600 {\an8}where sea ice or ocean or snow 700 00:41:11,633 --> 00:41:15,833 {\an7}exchange energy and moisture and different gases. 701 00:41:15,866 --> 00:41:19,500 {\an7}And so the wind is really a critical part of understanding 702 00:41:19,533 --> 00:41:21,933 {\an7}how the atmosphere is coupled 703 00:41:21,966 --> 00:41:27,266 {\an7}to these other parts of the climate system. 704 00:41:27,300 --> 00:41:29,500 {\an8}NARRATOR Along with these crucial surface winds, 705 00:41:29,533 --> 00:41:32,433 {\an7}there are other polar winds, much higher, 706 00:41:32,466 --> 00:41:34,833 {\an7}that have a powerful effect on the climate 707 00:41:34,866 --> 00:41:37,200 {\an7}far beyond the Arctic. 708 00:41:40,133 --> 00:41:43,333 {\an1}The jet stream is a band of high-altitude wind 709 00:41:43,366 --> 00:41:47,966 {\an1}that whistles around our planet at over 100 miles an hour, 710 00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:53,000 {\an1}influencing much of the weather in the Northern Hemisphere. 711 00:41:53,033 --> 00:41:54,933 It's driven by the temperature difference 712 00:41:54,966 --> 00:41:59,733 {\an1}between the warm Equator and cold Arctic. 713 00:41:59,766 --> 00:42:02,900 {\an1}Many scientists think the faster-warming Arctic 714 00:42:02,933 --> 00:42:04,633 may be weakening the jet stream, 715 00:42:04,666 --> 00:42:07,933 {\an1}causing it to become unstable. 716 00:42:07,966 --> 00:42:11,066 {\an1}It's a controversial theory, but if true, 717 00:42:11,100 --> 00:42:14,733 it could have catastrophic results. 718 00:42:14,766 --> 00:42:18,333 {\an1}Cold air is able to escape out of the Arctic 719 00:42:18,366 --> 00:42:21,066 {\an1}and cover parts of Europe or North America 720 00:42:21,100 --> 00:42:24,533 and give us really cold winter weather. 721 00:42:24,566 --> 00:42:26,366 {\an1}Or if the jet stream pushes very far north, 722 00:42:26,400 --> 00:42:30,600 {\an1}and you get these intrusions of warm air up into the Arctic. 723 00:42:30,633 --> 00:42:33,533 {\an1}(thunder rumbling) 724 00:42:33,566 --> 00:42:36,966 NARRATOR: The weaker jet stream might also be causing weather patterns 725 00:42:37,000 --> 00:42:40,633 {\an1}to get stuck over the same area for longer, 726 00:42:40,666 --> 00:42:45,066 prolonging droughts and floods. 727 00:42:45,100 --> 00:42:47,433 CASSANO: It impacts everything we do. 728 00:42:47,466 --> 00:42:49,833 {\an1}It impacts farmers and where they can grow crops, 729 00:42:49,866 --> 00:42:51,233 {\an1}where rain falls, 730 00:42:51,266 --> 00:42:54,300 {\an1}how often droughts occur, how often heat waves occur, 731 00:42:54,333 --> 00:42:55,633 {\an1}how often blizzards occur... 732 00:42:55,666 --> 00:43:00,566 {\an1}I mean, all of the weather that we experience. 733 00:43:00,600 --> 00:43:02,966 NARRATOR: In addition to altering 734 00:43:03,000 --> 00:43:05,900 weather patterns in the Northern Hemisphere, 735 00:43:05,933 --> 00:43:07,666 {\an1}the warming Arctic 736 00:43:07,700 --> 00:43:09,733 {\an1}is also speeding up global warming, 737 00:43:09,766 --> 00:43:11,900 {\an1}which will affect weather everywhere. 738 00:43:13,800 --> 00:43:16,766 {\an1}And as ice on land also melts faster, 739 00:43:16,800 --> 00:43:21,966 it accelerates global sea level rise. 740 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:26,966 {\an1}What happens in the Arctic affects us all. 741 00:43:27,000 --> 00:43:28,076 CASSANO: The Arctic is far away. 742 00:43:28,100 --> 00:43:29,366 You know, 'cause you think, 743 00:43:29,400 --> 00:43:30,733 {\an1}"Oh, it's so far away, who cares?" 744 00:43:30,766 --> 00:43:32,666 {\an1}But it has such a critical impact 745 00:43:32,700 --> 00:43:36,200 {\an1}on the, the global environment 746 00:43:36,233 --> 00:43:37,933 {\an1}that we all have to care. 747 00:43:39,800 --> 00:43:45,700 ♪ ♪ 748 00:43:45,733 --> 00:43:47,366 NARRATOR: Six months in, 749 00:43:47,400 --> 00:43:50,066 {\an1}the Transpolar Drift is carrying the Polarstern 750 00:43:50,100 --> 00:43:54,266 {\an1}and its ice cities around eight miles each day, 751 00:43:54,300 --> 00:43:57,866 {\an1}as the rest of the world 752 00:43:57,900 --> 00:43:59,733 {\an1}faces a pandemic. 753 00:43:59,766 --> 00:44:01,700 BORIS JOHNSON: The coronavirus is 754 00:44:01,733 --> 00:44:03,933 {\an1}the biggest threat this country has faced for decades. 755 00:44:03,966 --> 00:44:05,209 {\an1}All over the world, we are seeing 756 00:44:05,233 --> 00:44:08,033 {\an1}the devastating impact of this invisible killer. 757 00:44:08,066 --> 00:44:10,866 ♪ ♪ 758 00:44:10,900 --> 00:44:12,633 NARRATOR: The scientists may be 759 00:44:12,666 --> 00:44:15,133 more isolated than anyone else on Earth, 760 00:44:15,166 --> 00:44:16,133 but as spring turns to summer, 761 00:44:16,166 --> 00:44:19,066 {\an1}they face their own challenges. 762 00:44:20,866 --> 00:44:24,600 The thinning ice is increasingly treacherous. 763 00:44:26,433 --> 00:44:28,100 {\an1}Large cracks form, 764 00:44:28,133 --> 00:44:32,900 {\an1}and huge ridges of colliding ice bury equipment. 765 00:44:32,933 --> 00:44:37,966 {\an1}Both are made worse by violent storms. 766 00:44:38,000 --> 00:44:39,933 {\an1}And as they drift ever closer 767 00:44:39,966 --> 00:44:43,033 {\an1}towards the edge of the ice pack, 768 00:44:43,066 --> 00:44:44,866 {\an1}the favored hunting ground for bears, 769 00:44:44,900 --> 00:44:47,833 {\an5}their work is constantly interrupted. (clanging) 770 00:44:47,866 --> 00:44:48,866 (growling) 771 00:44:49,866 --> 00:44:53,833 {\an7}(ship horn blaring) 772 00:44:56,300 --> 00:44:58,533 {\an8}By mid-June, much of the Arctic 773 00:44:58,566 --> 00:45:01,933 {\an1}is in the grip of a record-breaking heat wave. 774 00:45:01,966 --> 00:45:03,600 In July, 775 00:45:03,633 --> 00:45:05,566 {\an1}the ice is disappearing fast, 776 00:45:05,600 --> 00:45:08,100 {\an1}leading to the smallest area of Arctic sea ice 777 00:45:08,133 --> 00:45:10,666 ever recorded for this time of year. 778 00:45:12,566 --> 00:45:14,866 The question on everyone's mind 779 00:45:14,900 --> 00:45:17,033 is, how long will their ice floe last? 780 00:45:24,033 --> 00:45:25,666 {\an1}MACFARLANE: So this one, can you see it? 781 00:45:25,700 --> 00:45:27,009 {\an4}It's kind of... WOMAN: Ooh, yeah, yeah. 782 00:45:27,033 --> 00:45:29,433 {\an1}There's a few, like, lines. 783 00:45:29,466 --> 00:45:30,986 {\an1}This is undergoing melting. Yes, I see. 784 00:45:33,166 --> 00:45:35,433 MACFARLANE: The water in the snow, 785 00:45:35,466 --> 00:45:40,366 {\an1}it's just trickling down and pooling on the ice. 786 00:45:40,400 --> 00:45:42,433 {\an1}And the ice starts to become, we call it rotten. 787 00:45:44,500 --> 00:45:46,766 {\an1}The processes and changes have been really quick, 788 00:45:46,800 --> 00:45:49,000 {\an1}a lot quicker than I, I thought they were gonna be. 789 00:45:49,033 --> 00:45:51,833 {\an7}So, how long have we got? 790 00:45:51,866 --> 00:45:53,226 {\an8}(laughing): That's a good question. 791 00:45:54,366 --> 00:45:57,100 (dripping) 792 00:45:59,600 --> 00:46:05,200 NARRATOR: While the floe is becoming increasingly fragile, 793 00:46:05,233 --> 00:46:08,733 {\an1}the thinner ice is also moving faster than expected. 794 00:46:08,766 --> 00:46:11,300 {\an1}The team had hoped to stay locked in until September, 795 00:46:11,333 --> 00:46:14,433 but by mid-July, the Transpolar Drift 796 00:46:14,466 --> 00:46:18,566 {\an1}has already brought them close to the ice edge, 797 00:46:18,600 --> 00:46:20,000 where the waves of the open ocean 798 00:46:20,033 --> 00:46:21,566 {\an1}will finally destroy their floe. 799 00:46:21,600 --> 00:46:24,566 ♪ ♪ 800 00:46:24,600 --> 00:46:27,066 SHUPE: It could be 801 00:46:27,100 --> 00:46:28,833 {\an7}a very dangerous situation, 802 00:46:28,866 --> 00:46:30,900 {\an7}where the ice floe breaks into small pieces. 803 00:46:33,166 --> 00:46:34,166 {\an1}It could be any day now. 804 00:46:37,700 --> 00:46:39,066 FONG: You know, sea ice, 805 00:46:39,100 --> 00:46:41,500 {\an1}it has a lifetime of its own, 806 00:46:41,533 --> 00:46:46,866 {\an1}and so we watched it grow when we arrived, 807 00:46:46,900 --> 00:46:48,200 and now we're watching it decay. 808 00:46:48,233 --> 00:46:54,566 (dripping) 809 00:46:58,800 --> 00:47:03,833 {\an7}(woman vocalizing) 810 00:47:06,800 --> 00:47:08,833 {\an8}REX: Good morning, everybody. 811 00:47:08,866 --> 00:47:11,466 {\an7}We are at a distance of nine nautical miles 812 00:47:11,500 --> 00:47:14,633 {\an1}from the ice edge, and that is the distance 813 00:47:14,666 --> 00:47:16,800 where we need to take things down. 814 00:47:18,066 --> 00:47:19,542 {\an1}It's time to say goodbye to our research camp. 815 00:47:19,566 --> 00:47:22,166 (applause) 816 00:47:27,200 --> 00:47:31,033 {\an8}♪ ♪ 817 00:47:31,066 --> 00:47:32,700 {\an8}(drill whirring) 818 00:47:32,733 --> 00:47:33,976 {\an8}SHUPE: We measured right up to the end, 819 00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:38,033 {\an7}and actually, that feels great. 820 00:47:38,066 --> 00:47:40,300 {\an8}♪ ♪ 821 00:47:40,333 --> 00:47:43,166 {\an1}To me, this feels like a huge accomplishment. 822 00:47:46,133 --> 00:47:50,866 {\an8}♪ ♪ 823 00:48:09,566 --> 00:48:10,633 {\an7}(woman speaking on radio) 824 00:48:10,666 --> 00:48:15,066 FONG: So, I wake up, and I go to the bridge... 825 00:48:15,100 --> 00:48:16,666 (radio chatter) 826 00:48:16,700 --> 00:48:18,700 {\an1}...and there's nothing. 827 00:48:25,433 --> 00:48:26,500 SHUPE: Our floe is gone. 828 00:48:26,533 --> 00:48:30,400 {\an1}It's totally gone. 829 00:48:30,433 --> 00:48:32,566 {\an1}It's disintegrated into a thousand pieces. 830 00:48:32,600 --> 00:48:36,266 ♪ ♪ 831 00:48:36,300 --> 00:48:40,466 FONG: Overnight, we went from having a floe that we could work on, 832 00:48:40,500 --> 00:48:42,400 {\an1}that we were moving heavy equipment on, 833 00:48:42,433 --> 00:48:47,466 {\an7}to literally shambles of ice. 834 00:48:47,500 --> 00:48:49,100 {\an7}It was incredible. 835 00:48:49,133 --> 00:48:52,933 {\an1}(woman vocalizing) 836 00:48:55,333 --> 00:48:59,566 NARRATOR: Soon after their ice floe melts away into the ocean, 837 00:48:59,600 --> 00:49:02,033 {\an1}2020 is confirmed as having 838 00:49:02,066 --> 00:49:05,366 {\an1}the second-smallest extent of summer sea ice on record. 839 00:49:09,066 --> 00:49:11,000 {\an1}Across the Arctic, 840 00:49:11,033 --> 00:49:13,133 {\an1}vast areas are ice-free. 841 00:49:13,166 --> 00:49:17,766 ♪ ♪ 842 00:49:17,800 --> 00:49:20,066 {\an1}There are even patches of open water 843 00:49:20,100 --> 00:49:22,366 {\an1}at the North Pole itself. 844 00:49:22,400 --> 00:49:27,466 ♪ ♪ 845 00:49:27,500 --> 00:49:30,466 STROEVE: We don't have that much time left. 846 00:49:30,500 --> 00:49:33,266 {\an1}If the Arctic Ocean is going to lose its summer sea ice, 847 00:49:33,300 --> 00:49:35,933 {\an1}that's a big climate shift. 848 00:49:38,766 --> 00:49:40,233 CASSANO: The problem is that 849 00:49:40,266 --> 00:49:44,666 {\an1}climate change is this gradual, creeping change. 850 00:49:46,400 --> 00:49:48,666 {\an1}I think eventually, we're going to cross a, a threshold 851 00:49:48,700 --> 00:49:51,966 {\an1}where the weather and the climate become so different 852 00:49:52,000 --> 00:49:53,700 from what we're able to deal with, 853 00:49:53,733 --> 00:49:57,000 {\an7}that it will become a crisis. 854 00:49:57,033 --> 00:50:00,733 {\an7}That it will become urgent, like COVID has been for us. 855 00:50:05,133 --> 00:50:08,000 FONG: Here's the question I would like to pose: 856 00:50:08,033 --> 00:50:10,033 {\an1}why not act now? 857 00:50:10,066 --> 00:50:15,266 ♪ ♪ 858 00:50:15,300 --> 00:50:18,233 CASSANO: Humans are very resilient, 859 00:50:18,266 --> 00:50:21,566 {\an1}we're very innovative. 860 00:50:21,600 --> 00:50:23,766 {\an1}We can come up with ways to solve this, 861 00:50:23,800 --> 00:50:26,700 {\an1}but we need to start working together more than we are. 862 00:50:26,733 --> 00:50:29,400 ♪ ♪ 863 00:50:32,366 --> 00:50:35,300 {\an1}MOSAiC is a symbol of 864 00:50:35,333 --> 00:50:36,633 {\an1}what we need to deal with, 865 00:50:36,666 --> 00:50:38,500 {\an1}the challenges we face. 866 00:50:38,533 --> 00:50:40,900 {\an1}It's a global problem. 867 00:50:40,933 --> 00:50:43,666 {\an7}And you solve global problems by acting as a global community. 868 00:50:43,700 --> 00:50:45,166 {\an1}(helicopter blades chopping) 869 00:50:45,200 --> 00:50:47,166 SHUPE: We're leaving the Arctic now 870 00:50:47,200 --> 00:50:48,776 {\an1}with a tremendous amount of new knowledge, 871 00:50:48,800 --> 00:50:50,400 {\an1}and it's going to be available 872 00:50:50,433 --> 00:50:51,609 {\an1}for everyone around the world to use. 873 00:50:51,633 --> 00:50:53,666 MACFARLANE: What each team has found 874 00:50:53,700 --> 00:50:56,366 {\an1}has been really extraordinary. 875 00:50:56,400 --> 00:50:58,533 {\an1}The implications are huge. 876 00:50:58,566 --> 00:51:00,433 ♪ ♪ 877 00:51:00,466 --> 00:51:02,866 NARRATOR: From thousands of feet above the Arctic ice 878 00:51:02,900 --> 00:51:06,066 {\an1}to the ocean deep below it, 879 00:51:06,100 --> 00:51:09,633 {\an1}the team has gathered more than 150 terabytes 880 00:51:09,666 --> 00:51:11,066 {\an1}of vital new data 881 00:51:11,100 --> 00:51:14,200 {\an1}and countless samples still to be examined. 882 00:51:17,400 --> 00:51:21,466 As scientists around the world work together 883 00:51:21,500 --> 00:51:24,100 to analyze and combine the findings, 884 00:51:24,133 --> 00:51:27,533 {\an1}they'll piece together a new picture 885 00:51:27,566 --> 00:51:31,200 {\an1}of our changing Arctic, 886 00:51:31,233 --> 00:51:33,633 transforming how we see our future 887 00:51:33,666 --> 00:51:35,466 {\an1}and what can be done about it. 888 00:51:38,033 --> 00:51:39,833 ♪ ♪ 889 00:51:39,866 --> 00:51:41,100 FONG: The world is changing, 890 00:51:41,133 --> 00:51:43,333 {\an1}and there is something that we can do about it, 891 00:51:43,366 --> 00:51:46,300 but it takes us making better choices 892 00:51:46,333 --> 00:51:48,133 {\an1}about our everyday lives. 893 00:51:48,166 --> 00:51:51,866 I hope that what you've seen 894 00:51:51,900 --> 00:51:56,700 {\an1}encourages you to believe that, as we continue to 895 00:51:56,733 --> 00:51:59,133 {\an1}be curious about our world, 896 00:51:59,166 --> 00:52:00,800 {\an1}it will help us protect it. 897 00:52:00,833 --> 00:52:03,433 ♪ ♪ 898 00:52:04,333 --> 00:52:06,633 {\an1}What is at stake? 899 00:52:06,666 --> 00:52:09,933 {\an1}Everything, I would say. 900 00:52:09,966 --> 00:52:12,866 ♪ ♪ 901 00:52:17,900 --> 00:52:25,900 {\an8}♪ ♪ 902 00:52:32,833 --> 00:52:37,033 {\an8}♪ ♪ 903 00:52:37,066 --> 00:52:39,000 {\an8}ALOK PATEL: Discover the science behind the news 904 00:52:39,033 --> 00:52:41,066 {\an7}with the "NOVA Now" podcast. 905 00:52:41,100 --> 00:52:44,500 {\an7}Listen at pbs.org/novanowpodcast 906 00:52:44,533 --> 00:52:47,633 {\an7}or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. 907 00:52:47,666 --> 00:52:51,466 {\an8}ANNOUNCER: To order this program on DVD, visit ShopPBS 908 00:52:51,500 --> 00:52:54,800 {\an7}or call 1-800-PLAY-PBS. 909 00:52:54,833 --> 00:52:57,733 {\an7}Episodes of "NOVA" are available with Passport. 910 00:52:57,766 --> 00:53:02,066 {\an7}"NOVA" is also available on Amazon Prime Video. 911 00:53:02,100 --> 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