Dear readers,
The year is drawing to a close and we’d like to take this opportunity to thank our loyal and growing readership!
We very much look forward to the upcoming holidays. But first, we want to share the latest news from the AWI with you: An important milestone for the AWI was reached at the end of the year. The new construction of our icebreaker Polarstern has now been officially commissioned to the thyssenkrupp Marine Systems shipyard. An innovative research vessel is to be handed over to the scientific community by 2030. On the website polarstern.awi.de/en/ you will find all information about the new construction project.
Moreover, in the past two weeks, two very important publications have been released: firstly, AWI researcher Dr Johann Philipp Klages recently made the first-ever discovery of amber in the Antarctic. In other news, his colleague Dr Helge Gößling investigated the causes of the rising temperatures in 2023. His conclusion: fewer low-altitude clouds led to a reduction in Earth’s reflectivity (albedo), limiting the planet’s ability to reflect sunlight back into space. This factor contributed to higher mean temperatures last year.
To make sure you don’t forget us during the holidays, I’d like to announce an event in January: we’ll celebrate the 20-year anniversary of our Antarctic ice project "Library in the Ice" at the City Library in Bremerhaven on 24 January. Save the date! You are cordially invited to get to know our colleagues on site during a live broadcast to Antarctica.
Wishing you a restful Christmas season and relaxed holidays,
Marlena Witte
Communications and Media Relations
