Ladda ner årsbok 2008 (6,5 MB) - Polarforskningssekretariatet

arctic sweden Principal
Research projects in the Swedish mountain
range have come to the fore as a result of
activities in connection with the International
Polar Year 2007–2008 (IPY). Previously,
the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat has
not funded fieldwork in Sweden, but the
focus of the IPY has provided reasons for
it to do so. One reason is the fact that the
Swedish mountain range lies within the
area defined internationally as the Arctic,
while another important factor is the IPY’s
focus on environmental and climatic factors,
which will henceforth put heavier demands
on each country to maintain long-term
measurement series at their own research
platforms. The research projects conducted
under the auspices of Arctic Sweden have been
interdisciplinary, and have primarily been
concerned with climate changes, both natural
and anthropogenic (i.e., those attributable to
human factors). These research activities have
been carried out in the Swedish mountain
range, from Härjedalen in the south to
northernmost Lapland, mainly in July and
August of 2008.
theme 1. Glacier-climate interactions
Present climate change severely affects Swedish
glaciers. Exactly 100 years prior to the ongoing
International Polar Year 2007–2008 (IPY) the
first systematic survey of Swedish glaciers was
made and published by the Swedish Geological
Survey. Using satellite images covering Sweden,
270 glaciers have been identified. Monitoring
of the response of Swedish glaciers to climate
changes is carried out by Tarfala Research
Station (www.tarfala.su.se).
The definition of a glacier when it is building
up requires that it should be in motion. The
ice has to be more than 30 metre thick for
ice deformation to occur which allows for
movement. Many of the smaller glaciers are
probably close to being inactive although this
is difficult to gauge without detailed depth
measurements. During Arctic Sweden we
focussed on the glaciers that are still large and
active. This is because the potential increase in
melt of these glaciers will increase discharge in
the rivers and will contribute to the increase in
sea level. We therefore decided to make detailed
field surveys of a number of reference glaciers
located along the mountain range from Helags
to Abisko. During the campaign in August we
focussed mainly on the glaciers located in the
inaccessible Sarek mountains. With permission
from the local government we used helicopters
to access the Sarek glaciers during two weeks in
August. We generally needed a day per glacier
when we measured the snout positions of the
Mikka, Pårte, Ruopsok, Souttas, Rhuotes and
Vartas glaciers. We also measured the extent
of Hyllglaciären and the front position of
Salajekna, the largest glacier in Sweden.
Before the summer we had digitised the old
Figure 1
The scientist measured the glaciers
that are still large and active. Salajekna
is the largest glacier in Sweden and is
located in the Sulitelma Massif.
Photo: Gunhild Rosqvist
investigators
Theme 1
Per holmlund
gunhild Rosqvist
Department of Physical Geography
and Quaternary Geology
Stockholm University
Theme 2
Anders Angerbjörn
Department of Zoology
Stockholm University
göran Ericsson
Department of Wildlife, Fish and
Environmental Studies
Swedish University of Agricultural
Sciences, Umeå
Theme 3
Terry Callaghan
Christer Jonasson
Abisko Scientific Research Station
Thomas B. larsson
Department of History, Philosophy
and Religion, Umeå University
åRSBoK YEARBooK 2008
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