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DW-TV: The melting ice is much more than a herald of climate change. It's also having geopolitical repercussions. Dieter Franke, what will the consequences be if the North Pole continues to melt or the ice even disappears completely? In the past the Earth has gone through some pretty drastic changes before, hasn't it?

Dieter Franke: It has, but actually the consequences will be dramatic for the plants and the flowers living there in the arctic. On the other hand, a ice free North Pole will open up new exploration tasks for the hydrocarbon industry.

DW-TV: With the melting of the ice cap and this new accessibility, the North Pole has turned into a political issue. Many nations have staked claims there: the United States, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Russia --they all want a slice of the pie, particularly the huge estimated undersea oil reserves there. How is this situation going to be resolved?

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Dieter Franke: I have to state that this estimation of the huge reserves is just an estimate. We know very little about the arctic and the science's question to do more there in the Arctic and to get a better understanding of the general situation in that area.

DW-TV: Last year the Russians went a step further than other countries in staking their claim. In a planned media event, they sent a submersible down to the floor of the Arctic ocean, not very far from the North Pole and they planted a Russian flag there.

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Now, in international terms, of course, that doesn't have any legal basis and it isn't recognized by any of the other involved nations. What do you think is going to happen next?

Dieter Franke: Well, the flag on the North Pole was a public relation gag, more or less. Though every country that has a border to the sea will try to expand the limits of their shelf. And that is reasonable, that is legal. I have no problems with that. All the countries surrounding the North Pole, they have to stay together to discuss their common boundaries and to get a common submission.

DW-TV: And come to an agreement?

Dieter Franke: That's the point.

DW-TV: Let's talk about the oil again for a second. How did these enormous reserves end up there on the bottom of the sea at the North Pole?

Dieter Franke: The same situation as everywhere in the world. The oil is there for a very, very long time. That means hundreds of million years ago the oil could have been already placed there and it is still there so the only point we need is to explore the area and get an idea of how much is really there.

DW-TV: As a scientist, what do you consider the most interesting aspect of that region?

Dieter Franke: Well, it is one of the least explored areas of the world. It is really a wide place in Earth. We would like to understand how that area evolved in general. How was the Lomonosov Ridge for instance put to the position it is right now. How did the ocean open in that area -- these are the questions. We would like to answer some.

(Interview: Heather DeLisle)