Theareanorthwardof50 N. Source:AMAP(2003). EstablishmentinMay,1937,ofthe?rstdrifting¿NorthPole-1¿(NP-1)stationin the Arctic Ocean and organization of the ?rst ¿Sever¿ airborne high-latidudinal expedition(AHE)continuedtheSecondIPYinthestudyoftheArctic.Theexpe- ence of these expeditions convincingly proved the possibility of organizing and conducting(directlyfromtheice)long-termcomplexmeteorological,oceanographic andiceobservations. WorldWarIIinterruptedforalongtimethelarge-scalestudiesintheArctic. The¿Sever¿AHEswereresumedin1948,andorganizationofdriftingstationsin 1950. Todate,whilsttheRussianresearch¿NP-33¿stationdriftsinthevicinityofthe NorthPole,itcanbestatedthatourknowledgeoftheArcticOceanforthelast70 yearshasachievedaleveldi?eringlittlefromthelevelofknowledgeoftheother ! " ! # ! # ! # $%&¿( ) * + , - , ) . / $%&01 $%&02 $%&01 $ %03 / 4%5 /%¿ $%&¿¿ /%¿ $%&16 $%&1& $%&¿( ) $%&10 ) ) , 7 7 7 / 87 8 9 / 8 8 : : 8 8 ; 7 : : 8 * 8 ) 8 < ! ! ) ! & & & & 6 1 6 ¿ 6 ¿ & ¿ 0 1 5 1 = 1 5 5 & 5 & & ( 2 &0 1 00 3 ! 8! ! ; * > / 4 > * 4 4 < ? 7 7 7 7 7 ! 7 7 7 ! ! 7 @ 7 7 7 7 7 7 % ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; A ; ! ; ! ; ! A C> B , * ! - C A 7 7 7 + + + + + + 7 4 - 7 4 - 7 7 - 7 7 - - 8 8 8 : ! A !A A ! ! A !A !A 8 : + - 7 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ + - 7 C C 7 7 C C 7 7 C C 7 C C - $ 7 C C 7 7 7 - C C C C @ @ @ 8 ; ;

A brief history of Arctic exploration.- Meteorological investigations.- Sea ice cover.- Oceanography.- Geophysical observations.- Conclusion.