Institute For The Future

Danish survey of the Lomonosov Ridge

As we've noted before, competition between nations with territory around the North Pole-- the United States, Canada, Norway, Denmark, and Russia-- over who will control the North Pole, and the valuable sea passages and natural resources that have until recently been completely inaccessible, is starting to heat up. A couple weeks ago, Russian explorers planted a flag at the North Pole-- not on the ice, but the ocean floor-- as part of its claim that the North Pole is connected to Russian territory via the Lomonosov Ridge. Now, Denmark is mounting an expedition to map the Lomonosov Ridge's connection to Greenland:

 

Danish researchers have set sail for the North Pole to collect geological data, on a mission similar to Russia's trip earlier this month.

The month-long Danish expedition will study the Lomonosov Ridge. Russia believes the underwater feature is linked to its territory.

Denmark will investigate the ridge to see if it is geologically connected to Greenland, a Danish territory.

 

Despite the nationalist (and commercial) impulses behind the expedition, it still manages to be curiously international:

 

The Danish mission, called Lomrog (Lomonosov Ridge off Greenland), is supported by a Swedish icebreaker called Oden and a Russian nuclear icebreaker called 50 let Pobedy (50 Years of Victory), which was leased by Sweden.

Mr Sander said the Russians had simply "offered the best value". "The ship has a Russian crew - they'll do what we ask them," he added.

The research team - 45 specialists from Canada, Denmark and Sweden - plans to collect bathymetric, gravity and seismic data to map the seabed under the ice, the Danish science and technology ministry says.