But by mapping the tiniest of temperature fluctuations in the CMB, first done by the Cobe satellite in 1991, astronomers can "see" the distribution of matter in the early Universe.

BBC: Pictures of the early Universe

In addition to a sea floor mapping project, the researchers will make chemical analyses of water samples that will help them determine the temperature, salinity and composition of a strong circumpolar current that flows around the boundary of the Arctic Ocean.

CNN: Nuclear sub dives under the ice to explore climate change