Tundra ecosystems are characterized by low stature vegetation, which covers the cold polar and alpine soils with dense mats of cryptogams, grasses and dwarf shrubs. Tundra is the area extending beyond the thermal limits of tree growth and reaching up until the permanent snow and glacier fields of the nival […]
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Numerical models for glacier hydrology rely on sound input data for calibration and validation. In particular when upscaling these models for regional-scale assessments of water availability in glacierised catchments, this is of great importance and includes data on various hydrological components, such as rain, snow, ice and permafrost. Understanding which […]
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While glaciers are shrinking worldwide, those in the Pamir Mountains in Central Asia show less change. They and the other components of the cryosphere (snow and permafrost) are key unknowns for future changes to runoff and hazards. Over the next four years, a research consortium led by the Swiss Federal […]
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In 2022, the Swiss Polar Institute will launch two large multi-annual Flagship programmes supporting science in polar and high-altitude regions. In this context, the Swiss Polar Institute is looking to complete its small and dynamic team and to recruit a programme and data manager 80%. PDF for more information.
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The report “Preparing for Arctic Research in Canada – A Guide for Swiss Researchers” has been prepared by Parks Canada colleagues, in order to strengthen the collaboration between Canadian institutions and Swiss researchers. We invite you to have a look at the report as it contains very useful information about […]
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This little fish is what we came here for. All the way from Switzerland to Greenland. I say little, but she is actually rather large for a stickleback. Most are only about 5 cm long and weigh 1.5 g, so at 8 cm this one is a Leviathan. Gasterosteus aculeatus, […]
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The first two SPI Flagship Initiatives have been selected for funding. These Swiss-led multi-annual programmes will combine polar science and technology projects from different disciplines. Dr. Francesca Pellicciotti (WSL) and Prof. Martin Hoelzle (University of Fribourg) will lead the project “From ice to microorganisms and humans: Toward an interdisciplinary understanding […]
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The SPI, together with the Greenland Research Council (NIS), launched a call for interest for a new funding opportunity, the Konrad Steffen Grant (KSG). In memory of Konrad Steffen, one of the founders of the Swiss Polar Institute and its first Scientific Director, the KSG builds on his legacy of […]
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Glaciers and ice sheets are observed to rapidly change under the current global climate conditions. This is particularly the case for those in Greenland. For future projections of change, a long-term, multi-millennial perspective on changes of Greenland ice sheet drainage and local glaciers are of key importance. For example, the […]
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