Watan mai zuwa, masana kimiyya shida da ma'aikatan jirgin shida za su yi tafiya zuwa Kirkenes, wani gari mai nisa na Arctic a Norway kusa da iyakar Rasha. Daga nan, za su fara tafiya zuwa ɗaya daga cikin mafi tsananin wahala, wuraren da ba a kai ba, kuma mafi ƙarancin nazari a duniya. Za su shiga wani dakin gwaje-gwaje na zamani mai iyo mai suna Tara polar station, wanda aka gina a Faransa.
Za su fuskanci yanayi mai tsauri da keɓantacce: watanni na duhu cikakke da yanayin zafi har zuwa -50°C (-58°F). Suna isa Norway a ranar 14 ga Agusta kuma za su jira yanayi mai kyau da kuma wani jirgin ruwa mai fasa kankara don share musu hanya. Sa'an nan za su tashi a kan tafiyar watanni takwas, suna ciyar da dogon dare masu tsananin sanyi a kan wani jirgin ruwa mai tsawon mita 26 da faɗin mita 16. An tsara jirgin don daskarewa cikin kankara kuma ya yi tafiya a hankali a kan Pole ta Arewa zuwa Greenland.
Manufar su ita ce tattara bayanai kan yadda canjin yanayi da gurɓatawa ke shafar yanayin halittu na musamman, masu rikitarwa, da kuma waɗanda ba a san su sosai ba na Tekun Arctic ta Tsakiya—ɗaya daga cikin mafi rauni a duniya—kafin ya canza har abada.
"Muna rasa nau'ikan halittu kafin mu sami lokacin gano su," in ji Romain Troublé, masanin kwayoyin halitta wanda ya zama ma'aikacin jirgin ruwa kuma babban darakta na Tara Ocean Foundation, wata kungiyar agaji ta Faransa. "Don haka muna nan don rubuta waɗannan. A cikin shekaru 20 masu zuwa, komai zai canza."
[Hoto: Romain Troublé tare da lambar yabonsa a kan Tara polar station. Hoto: Handout]
Saboda aikinsa na haɓaka tashar polar, an ba Troublé lambar yabo ta Shackleton medal a wannan makon.
A shekarar 2023, mujallar Nature ta bayyana shi da Étienne Bourgois, wanda ya kafa Tara Ocean Foundation, a matsayin "masu tunani mai hangen nesa." Wani edita ya kwatanta balaguron shekaru biyu na farko na jirgin Tara—wani jirgin ruwa mai dogon igiya wanda ya bi ta cikin murjani reefs na Tekun Pacific kuma ya kai ga bincike kan samuwar reef da bambancin halittu—da balaguron kamar na Charles Darwin a kan HMS Beagle daga 1831 zuwa 1836.
"Mun san da kyau ilimin kimiyyar lissafi na Arctic… Amma ba mu da wani haske game da rayuwa, bangaren halittu. Wani takarda ne marar rubutu," in ji Troublé.
Wani sigar farko na jirgin Tara ya tafi Arctic a shekarar 2006 don kammala tafiya ta transpolar drift. Shi ne kawai balaguro na biyu irin wannan a tsakiyar Arctic tun lokacin da mai binciken Norway Fridtjof Nansen ya kammala na farko a cikin jirginsa, Fram, daga 1893 zuwa 1896.
"Mun yanke shawarar cewa muna so mu sake yin hakan a nan gaba, tare da ƙarin kudade, tare da ƙarin hanyoyi," in ji Troublé, ɗan'uwan Agnès Troublé, wanda ya kafa Tara Ocean Foundation kuma wanda aka fi sani da mai zanen kaya agnès b. "Mun san da kyau zurfin, ilimin kimiyyar lissafi na Arctic. Amma ba mu da wani haske game da rayuwa, bangaren halittu. Wani takarda ne marar rubutu don ganowa."
[Hoto: An tsara Tara polar station don kasancewa a kan balaguro mai ci gaba na shekaru 20. Hoto: Maéva Bardy/Tara Ocean Foundation]
Tsarin tashar ya fito daga Agnès Troublé da Bourgois, yayin da Troublé ya tara kudaden da ake buƙata na €26 miliyan (£22 miliyan) kuma ya shirya aikin. Wannan ya haifar da ƙalubale da yawa, in ji shi, ciki har da yadda za a haɗa masana kimiyya daga kasashe 15 da "ƙalubalen ɗan adam" ga mutanen da ke cikin jirgin.
Masana kimiyya da ma'aikatan za su kasance masu nisa sosai. Yayin da za a iya ceto su a cikin gaggawa, yana iya ɗaukar mako guda don isa gare su. Wannan shine mataki na farko na abin da aka tsara ya zama balaguro mai ci gaba a kan matakai 10 na shekaru 20, wanda ke nufin haifar da canje-canjen manufofi don kare Arctic.
"Ban taɓa fuskantar dare na polar ba. Babban tsoro na shine duhu… [amma] sau nawa kake samun damar yin wani abu kamar wannan?" in ji Dr. Nina Schuback.
Gudu ne da lokaci: Arctic yana dumama sau uku zuwa huɗu cikin sauri fiye da kowane wuri a duniya. Kankarar teku da ta taɓa kare yankin tana narkewa da sauri, tana fallasa teku ga barazanar jigilar kaya, kamun kifi, hakar ma'adinai, da gurɓatawa.
[Hoto: Jirgin ruwan Fridtjof Nansen na musamman, Fram, a kan balaguron Roald Amundsen zuwa]A shekarar 1911, Pole ta Kudu. Hoto: Süddeutsche Zeitung Photo/Alamy
Dr. Nina Schuback, masanin ilimin teku na halittu wanda ke ɗaukar hutu daga Swiss Polar Institute don shiga balaguron, ta ce: "Mun san cewa Tekun Arctic ta Tsakiya yana canzawa da sauri sosai. Muna iya ganin yanayin kankara yana canzawa ta amfani da bayanan tauraron dan adam, amma idan ya zo ga fahimtar yadda hakan ke shafar halittu, yana da wuya a sami bayanai."
Tekun Arctic da kankarar teku suna tallafawa hanyar rayuwa mai alaƙa, daga berayen polar, walruses, da whales beluga zuwa ƙananan halittu kamar algae na kankara, waɗanda ke zama tushen sarkar abinci.
Schuback da abokan aikinta za su tattara samfuran ƙananan halittu daga ruwan teku ta hanyar "moon pool" na tashar—wani buɗewa na tsakiya wanda kuma zai zama wurin farawa ga masu nutsewa, jiragen ruwa marasa matuki, da motocin da ake sarrafa daga nesa don sauka cikin zurfin sanyi. Suna fatan gano sabbin nau'ikan halittu waɗanda suka dace da wannan yanki na musamman, inda rana ba ta fitowa kusan rabin shekara.
Duba hoto a cikin cikakken allo: Wani beyar polar da ke manne da wani kankara mai narkewa kusa da Svalbard. Hoto: Arterra Picture Library/Alamy
Schuback, wacce ta bi tsarin zaɓi mai tsauri wanda wani masanin kimiyya ya kwatanta da kimantawa na International Space Station, ta yarda cewa tana "murna da tsoro" game da yiwuwar ciyar da hunturu na polar.
"Ban taɓa fuskantar dare na polar ba. Babban tsoro na shine duhu. Yana sa ka gaji," in ji ta, tana ƙara da cewa, "Kuma ina motsa jiki da yawa, amma zai yi wuya a kan irin wannan ƙaramin dandali."
"Amma lokaci zai wuce da sauri. Akwai kimiyya mai ban sha'awa da za a yi—kuma sau nawa kake samun dama irin wannan? Ina jin daɗi sosai."
Tambayoyi da Amsoshi
Ga jerin tambayoyin da ake yawan yi game da Balaguron zuwa Ƙarshen Duniya na Arctic ice drift mission
Tambayoyi na Matakin Farko
Q Menene ainihin wannan dakin gwaje-gwaje mai iyo a Arctic
A Jirgin ruwa ne na musamman wanda za a daskare shi cikin kankarar teku ta Arctic Masana kimiyya suna zaune a ciki don nazarin kankara, teku, da rayuwar da ke wanzu a can a lokacin dogon hunturu na polar
Q Me yasa suke kiransa balaguron zuwa ƙarshen duniya
A Domin jirgin zai yi tafiya tare da kankara zuwa cikin nisa, duhu, da matsanancin sanyi na Tsakiyar Arctic, mai nisa daga kowace ƙasa Yana ɗaya daga cikin mafi keɓantattun wurare a duniya
Q Wane irin rayuwa suke nema
A Ƙananan halittu kamar plankton, algae, da kwayoyin cuta waɗanda ke rayuwa a ciki da ƙarƙashin kankara Su ne tushen sarkar abinci ta Arctic, suna ciyar da kifi, hatimi, da berayen polar
Q Ta yaya jirgin ba zai murkushe shi da kankara ba
A An ƙarfafa jirgin na musamman don jure matsin kankara Za a daskare shi a wuri, ba ya yaƙi da kankara, don haka yana tafiya lafiya tare da kankarar da ke motsi
Q Har yaushe aikin zai ɗauka
A An tsara tafiyar ta ɗauki kimanin shekara guda, tana bin kankara ta cikin zagayowar yanayi duka daga narkewar rani zuwa daskarewar hunturu da dawowa
Tambayoyi na Matakin Ci Gaba
Q Menene babban burin kimiyya na wannan aiki
A Don fahimtar yadda yanayin halittu na Tekun Arctic ke aiki a lokacin hunturu lokacin da babu hasken rana Wannan bayanan yana da mahimmanci don hasashen yadda canjin yanayi zai shafi sarkokin abinci na Arctic da zagayowar carbon na duniya
Q Ta yaya masana kimiyya ke tattara samfura a cikin duhu cikakke da matsanancin sanyi
A Suna amfani da motocin da ake sarrafa daga nesa, masu hako kankara, da na'urori na ƙarƙashin ruwa da aka tura ta cikin ramuka a cikin kankara Masana kimiyya kuma suna aiki a cikin dakunan gwaje-gwaje masu zafi a kan jirgin da kuma saman kankara tare da kayan aiki na musamman don yanayin sanyi
Q Menene manyan haɗari ga ma'aikatan jirgin da aikin
A Haɗuwa da berayen polar, tsagewar kankara da ke buɗewa kusa da jirgin, matsanancin sanyi, da ƙalubalen tunani na watanni na duhu da keɓantacce
