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Participation in UNIS course AG-825 Glaciology 2024

Lay summary

Description of the programme

The course uses the unique opportunities presented by Svalbard to learn about the characteristics and dynamics of Arctic glaciers. The lectures focus on the complex and diverse thermal state of Arctic glaciers, its influence upon ice dynamics and hydrological processes as well as how climate change has strongly influenced this complexity. Therefore, the relationship between climate, mass balance and glacier dynamics (including surging) has been explored by dividing the course schedule into three main research topics, each with according lectures and fieldwork campaigns: 1) investigating pro-glacial icings using water samples, 2) estimating snow/firn characteristics taking firn cores, 3) assessing snow/ice characteristics taking GPR measurements.

How did you benefit from the programme?

Conducting fieldwork under challenging conditions such as bad visibility, cold temperatures and a lot of wind as well as the required “Arctic flexibility” to do so, was a highly instructive experience, which will be very helpful for future field campaigns. Furthermore, the course allowed me to create a large network of enthusiastic peers as well as lecturers that are all well-established in Arctic research. Additionally, one part of the course focused on writing a fictive grant proposal, which provided training that is likely to prove highly beneficial in the future. Last but not least Svalbard provides a rare chance for all glacier and cold-climate enthusiast to experience this remote but beautiful environment to the fullest both during the course and in the free time.

What were the highlights of the training?

The main advantage of a winter course in Svalbard is the unique opportunity to directly observe in the field the research topics and processes covered in the lectures. Accordingly, the absolute highlight of the course was a day trip to visit Vallåkrabreen and Scheelebreen, two actively surging glaciers. To see and understand the dimensions of such a highly dynamic glacier system was indeed impressive, especially after extensively discussing their processes in the lectures and lab exercises.

Would you recommend the programme to other students?

I highly recommend the course to anyone interested in increasing their knowledge about the unique characteristics and dynamics of Arctic glaciers as well as improving their grant writing skills for projects in such an environment.

The course is most appropriate for advanced MSc students or those in the early stages of their PhD who want to learn more about the dynamics of Arctic glaciers and apply methodologies such as firn coring, GPR measurements and chemical analysis of water in front of Svalbard’s valley glaciers.

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