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An American nuclear submarine will carry six civilian scientists on a 42-day
research cruise under the Arctic ice pack this summer.

This is the first time an American nuclear submarine has been used for
civilian research. The $3-million cruise is part of a post-Cold War
trend of using the Pentagon’s assets such as spy satellites and submarines
for environmental research.

The scientists – whose names are secret – plan to map the ice pack and the
ocean floor beneath it, monitor patterns of ocean circulation and analyse
water samples for evidence of pollution. The researchers will also leave a
buoy on the ice pack which will relay data after the submarine leaves.