Who you can meet at Greenland Science Week

All eyes are on Greenland, and researchers from all over the world are flocking here. Who are they? What are they doing? And how can we, those living in Greenland, benefit from their research? We posed these questions to four of the international researchers who are participating in Greenland Science Week.

The first of these researchers is Kristine Juul. She is an Emeritus Professor of Geography at Roskilde University and lives in Ilulissat. She is one of the few researchers studying migrants from Asia who come to Greenland to work.

Private photo

High voltage on permafrost

Tom de Ville is a PhD student at DTU Arctic in Sisimiut. He researches how the degradation of permafrost affects critical infrastructure in Greenland. In particular, he focuses on power lines and works closely with Nukissiorfiit. In his PhD, he is also working on mapping the extent of power lines and other (critical) infrastructure built on thawing permafrost. And he is in the process of defining what ‘critical’ infrastructure is for Greenland and the Arctic in general, as no such definition currently exists. But it is important, because “we should not blindly adopt definitions of critical infrastructure from Europe or the United States to the Arctic,” he says.

However, he believes there is no reason to worry that the power grid will collapse due to climate change:

“The majority of infrastructure is built on bedrock and rocks, which is considered a stable base for foundations and is not sensitive to permafrost degradation. Therefore, in my opinion, whilst the risk of suspended power supply caused by collapsing power line masts due to permafrost degradation does exist, it is currently not significant and under control,” he says.

How can we in Greenland make use of your research?

“Greenland has been in the spotlight recently, and with growing activity in business, tourism, mining, the military and so on, there is a need for a suitable and locally based framework for ‘critical’ infrastructure. On the other hand, Greenlandic society needs infrastructure which is reliable and resilient to climate change. Knowing that the climate in the Arctic is changing three times faster than the climate at Western European latitudes, adapting to these climatic changes is crucial,” he says.

“Therefore, my work with power lines aims to get a better understanding of the underlaying physical processes that accelerate permafrost degradation and consequently accelerate foundation issues.”

What makes your research particularly interesting?

“I love to work in the beautiful, rough and untouched Greenlandic nature, which I am lucky enough to do quite often, both in summer and winter, as I live and work in Sisimiut. I would also argue that working on a project with an objective to ensure reliable and resilient infrastructure in Greenland is an important and rewarding thing to do,” Tom de Ville says.

Private photo

Crossing the ice bridge between Greenland and Canada

Andrew Hamilton from the University of Alberta in Canada is researching marine climate conditions in Baffin Bay and the Canadian Arctic.

He is leading a new project called ‘Crossing the Ice Bridge.’ The project will develop a monitoring program for the Pikialasorsuaq area, located in the northern part of Baffin Bay between Qaanaaq and Ausuittuq (Grise Fiord) in Canada. Although the area is located so far north, the sea never completely freezes over in winter. Therefore, it is teeming with life and prey animals that are at risk from climate change.

The Canadian Inuit call the area Sarvarjuaq, and the plan is for the monitoring project to be carried out in partnership between the Inuit in Greenland and Canada as well as researchers.

How can we in Greenland make use of your research?

“The project will build connections between Inuit communities and scientists in Canada and Greenland, promoting an exchange of knowledge, sampling techniques, and research and community priorities. We hope to learn from each other to improve how community-based research is done, to provide opportunities for training and employment, and ultimately develop a regional monitoring program for the Pikialasorsuaq and improve our understanding of its dynamics in a rapidly changing climate,” says Andrew Hamilton.

“The goal is to create knowledge products from both Inuit and scientific perspectives that will improve the overall understanding of the region to better inform present-day activities and allow coastal communities in Canada and Greenland best plan for the future.”

Helping to monitor the Arctic Circle Trail

Every year, adventurous nature lovers hike along the Arctic Circle Trail between Sisimiut and Kangerlussuaq. An ATV trail has also been opened, meaning that more people can visit this popular area. However, the route also passes through a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which raises the question: what impact could increased traffic have on nature in such an area?

A group of researchers from the US, Canada, and England will investigate this. They are Millicent Harding from Durham University in the UK, Clay Prater from the University of Arkansas in the US, and Louise Mercer from Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada.

Their plan is to create a network to monitor environmental changes along the Arctic Circle Trail, says Clay Prater. He himself came to Qeqqata Kommunia back in 2017, where he researched glacier dust on the lakes.

“I am currently working to help develop better relationships between local communities and scientists so that we can ensure that the research done here directly serves local priorities,” he says.

“Climate-driven environmental change and ongoing infrastructure development is impacting permafrost landscapes across the Arctic, including Greenland. To address these concerns and inform sustainable management and tourism practices, an environmental monitoring network is needed to monitor environmental change along the trail.”

Local residents can already participate in the project during Greenland Science Week. Information meetings will be held for anyone interested in Sisimiut, Sarfannguit, and Kangerlussuaq, and there will also be a workshop in Nuuk.

“We want to address urgent knowledge gaps by bringing researchers and local residents, municipality officials, businesses, and researchers from Arctic DTU together to develop an observational monitoring network between Kangerlussuaq and Sisimiut,” they say.

“We hope to set a positive example of how natural scientists can help support the development of research programs that directly serve the needs of Greenlandic communities.”