A team of British explorers has embarked on an epic 1000km trek to the North Pole to discover how quickly the Arctic sea-ice is melting. For years satellite imagery has shown how the surface area of the ice has been shrinking but this expedition will give scientists their first indication of how thin the ice is. Making the entire journey on foot the team will drag a sledge behind them containing a mobile radar unit which will constantly measure the thickness of the ice below. Whilst travelling by foot makes the expedition more perilous it will result in an improved quality of data – making the Catlin Arctic Survey the most comprehensive of its kind. The survey should be complete by late May 2009 and will help scientists answer one burning question; how long will the Arctic Ocean's sea-ice cover remain a permanent feature of our planet.

www.catlinarcticsurvey.com