Nova, Arctic Drift

Wednesday, Oct. 13, at 9 PM

Repeats Thursday, Oct. 14, at 2 AM and Tuesday, Oct. 19, at 5 PM

Journey to the top of the world with scientists as they embark on the most ambitious Arctic research expedition of all time. The Arctic—much of it a vast frozen ocean, shrouded in darkness for half the year—is warming at twice the rate as the rest of the globe.

Since the northern ice cap acts as a cooling system for the entire planet, its rapid melting is making the world warm faster, potentially disrupting weather patterns, ocean currents and biodiversity. Yet because the Arctic is so inaccessible and inhospitable, establishing exactly what’s going on and forecasting its future have proven elusive.