April 2021
Climate Sentinels
6 female scientists and explorers
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5 week-long expedition 1000 km away from the North Pole
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450 km ( 280 miles) on skis
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Carbon-neutral
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State-of-the-art research
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Collaborating with schools around the world
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Our 2021 expedition!
Stories from the field
Exclusive updates on Milkywire
Climate Sentinels
In April 2021, we set set off for a one-of-a kind expedition in the heart of the High Arctic, on the Norwegian Archipelago of Svalbard.
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We skied across 450 km of glaciers, fjords and snowy peaks, collecting data that will improve our understanding of the melting of the Arctic.
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Our team successfully completed the first carbon neutral research expedition to ever take place in the polar regions.
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Throughout this journey, we also worked with classrooms from across the world to make our science more exciting and more accessible to the young generations. Education is key to understand how these polar environments are responding to climate change, and what we can do about it!
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Come and join our team to change the face of Arctic Research and help preserve the Arctic cryosphere.
We are Anne, Silje, Dorothée, Alia, Heidi and Nina. Six scientists, all polar experts driven by the same passions: studying the Arctic and making our knowledge accessible to all.
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In 2017 we decided to create a unique project: to put together first all-female research expedition in Svalbard. Little did we know how much work this wish required! But a few years later here we are.
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We come from the U.S., France, Sweden, Serbia and Norway, and despite the distances between us, we have all lived, worked, or studied in Svalbard.
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Today, like the "avengers" of the polar regions, or the "6" musketeers, we assemble to show the new face of Arctic research.
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Our motto?
"Have you not succeeded? Continue! Have you succeeded? Continue!" from Nansen.
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Who are we?
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Our Mentors
Felicity Aston, MBE
British Explorer and Antarctic Scientist
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“There are many reasons to cheer for this expedition. There is integrity in the scientific investigation at the heart of the journey; in its efforts to be carbon neutral the expedition sets new standards of responsibility that others will follow; the route is an exciting one, inspiring others (including me) to daydream about the Arctic and take greater notice of the region; and finally, each member of the team is an ambitious and capable scientist and adventurer who also just happen to be a woman. This is 21st Century exploration at its best.”
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JEAN-LOUIS ETIENNE
French Explorer and Scientist​
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"Ever since pioneers started to explore the polar regions, the tools and the scale of exploration have not stopped changing. This is the exact mission that these women, who all have polar experience, aim to fulfill. They are driven by scientific curiosity, the will to understand, the need to communicate and share their knowledge of the great outdoors. They are the illustration that scientific adventure is alive and well, and I give them my full support.”
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The Expedition
In April 2021, we covered 450 km (280 mi) on skis, for four weeks, to collect snow and ice samples on the archipelago of Svalbard.
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Svalbard is located halfway between northern Norway and the North Pole. Today, it is defined as the epicenter of Climate Change, warming 7 times faster than the rest of the world.
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It is also one of the most accessible places in the Arctic and is home to a unique university UNIS, and to several research stations, making Svalbard one of the best natural laboratories to study climate change.
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To know more about the expedition, click on the link below!
The Science
During the expedition, we collected snow and ice samples to measure the concentration of black carbon. Black carbon (BC) is made of fine particles emitted during the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. They can travel over thousands of kilometers and can easily reach the Arctic.
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When they land on snow and ice, they pollute these environments but most importantly make them darker, lowering their albedo and accelerating their melt.
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Outreach
One of the biggest pillars of Climate Sentinels is to make the science of our project more accessible, fun and exciting. This is why we are creating partnerships with schools across the world!
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We want to engage with the youth, connect them with the remote and unique parts of our planet, and most importantly motivate them to act positively for our planet!
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If you are a teacher do not hesitate to contact us (below) we are keen to connect with as many classrooms as possible!
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