Mission Spiritus has begun fieldwork in Patagonia.
After arriving in El Chaltén, southern Argentina, the team has moved from preparation and logistics into environmental sampling. The first water samples have now been collected from glacial waters, marking the start of the scientific fieldwork for Mission Spiritus’ fourth expedition.
The expedition follows months of planning, coordination and equipment preparation. With sampling underway, the team is continuing to move equipment onto the glacier to support collection across this remote mountain landscape.
Sharing the mission in El Chaltén
Before fieldwork began, Mission Spiritus founder Alan Chambers MBE met with members of the El Chaltén community to share the story behind the initiative.
He spoke about why Mission Spiritus was established and how the project has developed into a programme of science-led expeditions. The work focuses on collecting environmental samples in remote and extreme environments to support research into airborne micro and nano plastics.
Mission Spiritus is backed by Columbia University and works with the Columbia Climate School’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. Environmental samples collected during expeditions are analysed by Columbia University to support this research.
From preparation to fieldwork
The first days in Patagonia have been focused on ensuring the team, equipment and sampling processes are ready for the conditions ahead.
Collecting water samples from glacial environments forms part of a wider approach to environmental sampling during the expedition. Further work will include snow sampling as the team continues across the region.
Each sample forms part of wider scientific work designed to contribute to understanding of airborne micro and nano plastics in remote environments. Mission Spiritus does not draw conclusions in the field. The role of the expedition is to collect samples carefully and consistently so they can be analysed by the scientific team.
A growing expedition programme
Patagonia is the fourth Mission Spiritus expedition, following completed journeys in Antarctica, Oman and the Faroe Islands. These expeditions have collected snow, sand, water, sediment and beach samples in very different environmental settings.
For the team now on the ground in southern Argentina, the focus is clear: safe progress, careful sampling and disciplined fieldwork.
Further updates will follow as the expedition continues.
