Jean-Louis Etienne presented his project to explore the formidable Southern Ocean by 2023: the "Polar Pod", a vertical boat over 100 meters high.

Guest from Europe 1, the explorer recounted the genesis of this scientific mission, which aims to collect data on this little-known ocean, which plays an essential role in the fight against global warming.

INTERVIEW

It could be a ship straight out of a Jules Verne novel.

Explorer Jean-Louis Etienne presented Tuesday morning his surprising vertical boat project, more than 100 meters high, entitled "Polar Pod".

With this strange device, he hopes to be able to explore the formidable but little-known Southern Ocean, around Antarctica, in order to better understand its role in the fight against global warming.

"We are going to explore the ocean around Antarctica, around the South Pole, what sailors call 'the 50th howlers'. It is far away and it is little studied, there was an expectation of the scientific community. need to settle in this ocean to better study it, "assures Jean-Louis Etienne, invited Tuesday noon from Europe 1 to detail this scientific mission that he hopes to begin at the end of 2023.

A vertical ship to face ocean storms 

To face the terrible climatic conditions of the Southern Ocean, Jean-Louis Etienne launched his "Polard Pod" project more than 10 years ago.

"We were wondering what type of vessel would allow a team of scientists to stay on this ocean, which has a bad reputation, in good conditions of safety and comfort. And so we made this vertical vessel. It is a big one. tube that is 100 meters high and 80 meters deep, 80 meters draft ", he explains.

This ship must therefore make it possible to navigate much more easily in these troubled waters than with a more conventional boat.

"We are stuck in deep water, stable water. A ship is dependent on the waves and the movement of the sea surface, but when you have a boat like that, which goes down to 80 meters deep with the addition of a ballast of 150 tons, this ensures its stability in heavy weather ".

Seven people on board for three years 

The design of the boat took years of study.

The "Polar Pod" was indeed designed as an ecological vessel, entirely autonomous, with six wind turbines which will supply electricity to the crew.

Not having an engine, it will have to be towed directly on site, in the Southern Ocean, by another boat.

"We will tow it horizontally and once arrived there in the circumpolar current, it will pass vertically by ballasting (see video below,

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)". 

The mission, which is to last three years, will be permanently composed of seven people: four scientists and three sailors, who will take turns every two to three months. 

Better understand the role of the Southern Ocean on the climate 

This scientific mission, which brings together the CNRS, the CNES (National Center for Space Studies), Ifremer (French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea) and private partners, should provide a better understanding of the role of Southern Ocean on climate.

"To give you an idea, this Southern Ocean absorbs half of the CO2 which is absorbed by all the oceans of the planet. It is a major climate actor because it is what is called a carbon sink. It has the capacity to store carbon, CO2, because it is cold water. Cold water has the capacity to dissolve carbon dioxide in a much more efficient manner ", explains Jean-Louis Etienne . 

"This is a measurement that we will be doing for three years and therefore it will allow us to have a very precise estimate of this capacity of the Southern Ocean to capture carbon dioxide. It is an element which is eagerly awaited. to understand the role of this ocean on the climate ".

The start of the "Polar Pod" mission is scheduled for the end of 2023.