Microplastics and nanoplastics counts for an Antarcic transect (Dec 2023 - Jan 2024)

The Spiritus 2024 Antarctic Mission dataset captures environmental and expedition-based measurements collected during a 58-day unassisted traverse to the geographic South Pole, completed on January 19, 2024, by polar explorers in collaboration with the Columbia Climate School and its Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. Conducted under extreme Antarctic conditions, the mission combined human endurance exploration with targeted scientific sampling to investigate the global distribution and impacts of microplastics and nanoplastics in one of the most remote environments on Earth.

The dataset includes georeferenced snow and environmental samples collected along a transcontinental route from the Hercules Inlet to the South Pole, accompanied by contextual observations of atmospheric conditions, wind regimes, and surface characteristics.

The Spiritus 2024 dataset is designed to support interdisciplinary applications, including the detection and transport pathways of micro- and nanoplastics, validation of atmospheric and cryospheric transport models, and emerging machine learning approaches to environmental monitoring. By integrating high-quality field samples with contextual environmental and human performance data, the dataset offers a rare and valuable resource for understanding both the physical and systemic dimensions of environmental change in Antarctica, with broader implications for global pollution dynamics and climate-related risks.