CR
Cryospheric Sciences

Svalbard

Camping on the Svalbard coast

September 9, 2015
Camping on the Svalbard coast
In the field (credit: A. Lourenço)

In early April 2015, a small team of 2 Belgian and 2 French researchers went to Svalbard. The goal? Testing new methods to measure sea-ice thickness and ice algal biomass, but also measuring greenhouse gases in the sea ice in relation with the ‘STeP’ (Storfjorden Polynya multidisciplinary study) campaign. With funding from the French Polar Institute (IPEV) and IPSL and logistical arrangements by t ...[Read More]

The bi-polar behaviour of surge-type glaciers – Heidi Sevestre

February 9, 2015
The bi-polar behaviour of surge-type glaciers – Heidi Sevestre
Wahlenbergbreen, Svalbard, in full surge mode (credits: Heïdi Sevestre)

Surge-type glaciers are the bi-polar member of the family of glacier dynamics. Every now and then they go into a complete fury and nobody really understands why. What are surge-type glaciers? Surge-type glaciers typically go through what we call the “surge cycle”. It is divided into two phases; a long quiescent phase during which the glacier is more or less dormant, followed by much shorter phase ...[Read More]