Svalbard

Imaggeo on Mondays: A walk at the glacier

Martina Grudzielanek October 14, 2019

A walk at the glacier. Credit: A. Martina Grudzielanek (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

In 2012 I had the opportunity to help lead a teaching excursion to the Norwegian archipelago Svalbard. On this trip, geography students from the Ruhr-University of Bochum in Germany had the chance to learn more about the nature of this fascinating island. In addition to Svalbard’s climatology and the wildlife, the region’s glaciology and geomorphology were the main topics we focused on. For exampl ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: How do Earth’s Northern Lights form?

Konstantina Nakoudi September 16, 2019

Aurora Borealis in Ny Ålesund, Svalbard. Credit: Konstantina Nakoudi (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

Aurora Borealis, which means Northern Lights are caused by electrically charged particles from the sun, which enter the Earth’s atmosphere and collide with gases such as oxygen and nitrogen. When the charged particles are blown towards the Earth by the solar wind, they are largely deflected by the Earth’s magnetic field. However, the Earth’s magnetic field is weaker at the poles and therefore some ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Robotics at the service of the polar science

Angelo Odetti July 1, 2019

Robotics at the service of the polar science. Credit: Angelo Odetti (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

This picture was taken in the Arctic in May 2018. It shows the unmanned marine vehicle Proteus in front of the tidewater glacier Conwaybreen in the Kongsfjorden in Spitsbergen in the Svalbard Archipelago. The front of tidewater glaciers is an almost vertical wall of ice standing over the sea where direct measurements are very critical due to the possibility of sudden fall of enormous blocks of ice ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Up close and personal with Svalbard glaciers

Matt Trevers April 29, 2019

Up close and personal. Credit: Matt Trevers (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

A University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) Glaciology student examines the calving front of the Paulabreen glacier [in Spitsbergen, Svalbard], taking advantage of sea ice in the Rindersbukta fjord to safely approach the front. Paulabreen is a surge-type glacier, which means that it periodically switches between long periods of slow, stable flow to short-lived periods of very fast flow during which it ...[Read More]