Studying glacier/ocean interactions using a natural laboratory of Hornsund fjord, Svalbard
The Arctic is warming almost four times faster compared to the global average. Rising temperatures cause rapid (and accelerating) decay of the land-based ice – a main contributor to the sea level rise. The freshwater input from the ice melt will cause further rise in sea levels and vital changes to ecosystems due to the ocean freshening. Predicting the future sociological, economic and environmental impacts of ice loss requires two conditions to be met: (i) mechanisms responsible for the decay of land-based ice are quantified and (ii) the corresponding response of the geosystem is explained; the project aims to answer these needs by investigating critical interplays between the warming ocean and shrinking glaciers.
Ocean-driven melt is one of the major drivers of ice loss. However, processes in play at the ice/ocean boundary are poorly represented in numerical models; therefore, a better understanding of glacier frontal ablation is essential for accurate predictions of ice loss. Moreover, frontal ablation directly impacts the ocean; for example, icebergs breaking from glaciers drive internal water mixing at the continental shelf that affects the primary production and carbon burial. In conclusion, widespread and concurrent observations at glacier/ocean boundaries are urgently required for better understanding and predicting climate-driven changes on Earth. However, measurements in glacial bays are difficult for numerous reasons: (i) the limited access, (ii) occurrence of polar night, (iii) harsh weather, (iv) dangerous conditions, and (v) high complexity of glacier/ocean interactions. Difficulties and limitations associated with concurrent measurements of frontal ablation and environmental parameters in glacial bays can be minimized, provided the study site is well-chosen. The project builds on the idea to transform Hornsund – a fjord with permanent research station and different but closely separated glacier-bay systems – into a quasi-natural laboratory for studying glacier/ocean interactions.
Hornsund combines unique features: (i) there are numerous closely separated glacial bays with different environmental settings, (ii) the fjord undergoes climate-driven transformation, (iii) a year-round Polish Polar Station Hornsund provides logistical support and monitoring data. In the project, multi-method observations from six glacial bays will be integrated with existing logistical and scientific capabilities of Hornsund. Novel acoustic methods will allow for quantifying iceberg calving fluxes and the variability of submarine glacier melting. The evolution of ice on the sea surface will be investigated using state-of-the art and newly-developed protocols for the analysis of satellite data and time-lapse images. Finally, concurrent meteorological and oceanographic measurements will support identification and quantification of external driving factors and environmental impacts of glacier ablation.
Key questions will be addressed: 1. What is the variability of glacier ablation processes, their driving factors, and environmental impacts?, 2. Which properties of glacial bays drive this variability?, 3. How important are wintertime processes?, 4. What are the feedback effects between ablation processes and oceanographic conditions?, and 5. How can the new results from Hornsund improve our understanding of glacier/ocean interactions worldwide? Answers to these questions will inform researchers interested in studying glacier mass loss and its regional and global impacts. New results, datasets and data analysis protocols will also help scientists working on other topics. For example, acoustic data can be processed to analyze the behavior of marine mammals in the Arctic. Another example are long-term meteorological measurements across Hornsund, which will be of particular interest to climatologists.
Additional Info
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Agreement number | 2024/54/E/ST10/00174 |
| Call | SONATA BIS-14 |
| Project Financing Institution | National Science Centre, Poland |
| Project Supervisor | Oskar Głowacki |
| Time | 01.04.2025 – 31.03.2030 |