Research expedition to Antarctica preparation for future climate change
Arjen Stroeven, professor of Physical Geography at Stockholm University, is leading a research team in the expedition DML 2023/24 to Antarctica. During the austral summer in December to February the expedition will be measuring when and how often the East Antarctic ice sheet grows and collapses in interaction with climate change.
By collecting samples from the bedrock and glacial erratics from mountain peaks that tower over the ice sheet surface, we can use "historical" data to provide more reliable answers about Antarctica and our own future”, says Arjen Stroeven.
Read more about DML 2023/24 and follow the expedition blog
Read more about the research on Geomorphology and Glaciology at Stockholm University
Arjen Stroeven: "We are looking for answers about our future in the Antarctic bedrock"
Why is it important to do research in Antarctica?
”There is an extremely large amount of water bound in the ice sheet in Antarctica. If parts of the ice sheet were to melt away, the consequences for society would be drastic, even in Sweden. If all the ice in both the East and West Antarctic were to melt, we are talking about a sea level rise of almost 60 meters. The poles also have an important function for the climate as a whole. Among other things, they reflect away the sun’s rays during the summer months and thus lower the global temperature. If the Antarctic ice sheet shrinks, that effect will be weaker.”
How do you feel about the trip?
”It is exciting. Despite diligent planning and mapping, it is always uncertain what traces of previous ice thickening we will find.”
What will the practical work consist of?
”We will visit some areas where the mountain peaks protrude through the ice. Where we find quartz-rich bedrock or glacial erratics such as granite, we take samples. In particular, foreign isotopes accumulate in the quartz mineral when minerals are exposed to cosmic rays after the ice has melted away.”
What will the samples be used for?
”With the help of these various cosmogenic isotopes, such as 10Be, 26Al, 14C, and 21Ne, we can then determine the ice sheet's response to climate change since the last glaciation and over millions of years. This in turn helps us evaluate which inland ice models provide the most probable results and which can provide the most reliable forecast for how the inland ice will change in shape and volume in the future.
How did the research group prepare for the trip?
”As a group, we must be very focused. It is important that everyone has clear roles. It is a demanding environment, and cold, despite the fact that it is high summer in Antarctica, and there are dangers associated with cracks that arise due to the movement of the ice and rock falls in the mountain environment. So, group dynamics and trust in each other become very important in order to be able to carry out the expedition in a safe way.”
What are the biggest challenges?
”The mountain summits in Antarctica are very steep, which makes sampling difficult. Therefore, we look carefully for the few places that are accessible. They are few in number, which leaves a restricted area for sampling.”
What is the best thing going on an expedition to Antarctica?
”Despite all the challenges, the results of sampling during previous expeditions have been spectacular. Both those that come from rock surfaces that have been ice-free for millions of years to the samples from mountain peaks that have "recently" been exposed due to melting. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to research and visit such unique places, with such an exciting history, where the results of what we do play such a big role.”
Facts about the expedition
FACTS - MAGIC-DML
The research project MAGIC-DML (Mapping, Measuring and Modeling Antarctic Geomorphology and Ice Change, in Dronning Maud Land), is an international project with participants from Germany, Norway, USA, Great Britain, and Sweden. The project is conducting its third field season (after field seasons in the winters of 2016/17 and 2017/18) and aims to find additional field evidence that constrains ice sheet thinning in coastal areas. It will also initiate a follow-up large international effort led by Stroeven and Stockholm University to study the response of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet to climate change and quantify its contribution to sea level rise for Swedish coastal communities by 2300 (iQ2300).
RESEARCHERS AT STOCKHOLM UNIVERSITY
The research group has three participants affiliated with the Department of Physical Geography at Stockholm University:
Jane Lund Andersen, who is a research fellow with support from the Wenner-Gren Foundation.
Read more about Jane Lund Andersen's research
Martim Mas e Braga, who graduated from Stockholm University, now works as a research fellow at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland.
Read more about Martim Mas e Braga's research
Arjen Stroeven, Professor of Physical Geography, who is the project manager.
Read more about Arjen Stroeven's research
FINANCING
The actual expedition DML 2023/24 is financed by:
- The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, which is responsible for all logistical support, including housing, transportation, and technical support in Antarctica.
The research project MAGIC-DML is funded by:
- Stockholm University, Norwegian Polar Institute / NARE, the US National Science Foundation, the Swedish Research Council, the German Research Foundation / DFG and the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
Read more about the expedition on the Polar Research Secretariat's collection page
Read more about the research at the Department of Natural Geography at Stockholm University
Read more about the research at the Bolin Centre for Climate Research at Stockholm University
Learn more about historical expeditions to Antarctica
Links on historical expeditions to Antarctica
Last updated: December 12, 2023
Source: Communications Office