The Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) reported that for the first time over many years the route of the North Pole-42 drifting station made it possible to thoroughly collect unique geological materials from the Alfa Ridge, a least explored region in the Arctic Ocean.

“The latest information from that area were obtained in 2012 but appropriately drifting station worked in this area way back in the 1970s,” said AARI Deputy Director for Scientific Expeditions Yury Ugryumov at a Board meeting of the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring.

According to the preliminary results of the research the high concentration of hydrocarbon gasses (methane and its homologs) in sone parts of the Alfa Ridge speaks for their generation and migration there.

In addition, measurements of the Earth's gravitational acceleration in the drifting ice of the Central Arctic were carried out for the first time in the world during the North Pole-42 expedition using an absolute gravimeter, a device made in Russia. The expedition also collected materials for performing fundamental paleoclimatic studies.

In general, the program of comprehensive scientific research of the North Pole-42 drifting expedition includes over 50 types of scientific studies and observations conducted both from board of a vessel and in the ice science camp.

To date, North Pole-42 has been operating for over 330 days moving mainly to the North-East. Over this period it has passed about 3,000 kilometers (1,600 nautical miles), the general driftway from the starting point made up 1,000 kilometers (560 nautical miles).