The Polarquest2018 Arctic expedition. A geographical report

Between July 22nd and September 4th 2018, an international Arctic expedition called “Polarquest2018” was conducted onboard the eco-sustainable boat NANUQ. The 17.8-meter sail-yacht cruised for over 3,500 miles, most of which north of the Arctic Circle. The crew carried out a series of activities and observations in the framework of three research programmes, focused on Physics, Environmental Science and Geography respectively. The work was documented, while in progress and later on, in several scientific publications and communication initiatives. The core of Polarquest2018 involved the circumnavigation of Spitsbergen and Nordaustlandet, the two largest islands of the Svalbard archipelago; in that phase, NANUQ visited several sites and areas of scientific and historical interest, in a region that is living the crucial transition from being a barely accessible frontier to becoming a place for human presence and activity. The expedition’s journey proposed an innovative approach to scientific research and cultural dissemination. The wide use of low-cost and high-sustainability technologies and operational methods allowed to test and validate new techniques to complement traditional ways of doing and communicating science in the Arctic. Such step opens new opportunities to envision a wider contribution of citizens’ science to observing and monitoring delicate environmental contexts in remote areas. This book reports about the expedition, focusing on some of its geography-specific aspects; a complete overview of what was done is hereby provided, in the perspective of sharing experience and encouraging the development of future work.