0 projects

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Effect of heavy rainfall events on soil faunal communities and soil characteristics across Svalbard ecosystems - T-REX project -RiS ID 11968

Climate change will alter precipitation regimes. In a warming climate, precipitation across the Arctic will increase and become more variable. A larger proportion of precipitation will fall as rain rather than snow and extreme summer rainfall events are expected to occur more frequently. There is...

Awarded: NOK 35,587

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Effect of Extreme Rainfall on Soil Thermal Regime and Tundra Ecology across Landscape Gradients - RiS ID 11968

In a warming climate, precipitation across the Arctic will increase and become more variable and extreme summer rainfall events are expected to occur more frequently. There is little experimental evidence of the impacts of such rainfall extremes on Arctic ecosystems. In the intended project we wi...

Awarded: NOK 71,880

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Constraining the geometry of Diabasodden Suite sills using joint and fracture network properties

SillProx will develop and test a methodology for estimating the geometry of magmatic intrusions where obscured and/or eroded boundaries do not allow for standard visual methods.If proven succesful we envision this method being of great use to many researchers in the volcanological and igneous geo...

Awarded: NOK 99,625

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Impact of heavy rainfall events on forage quality and grazing dynamics of Svalbard herbivores.

In this project we will use an experimental setup on sites with different topographic positions to simulate heavy rainfall events in the early summer. We will measure the plant and moss composition and growth as well as active herbivory. This will be done on experimental plots as well as on contr...

Awarded: NOK 22,106

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Sediment methane variability in Arctic lakes

This project is part of my doctoral thesis. Northern lakes represent a globally significant source of atmospheric methane, powerful greenhouse gas that is predicted to increase with the accelerated warming in the Arctic. Yet, the effect of rapid warming on the fate of natural methane emissions in...

Awarded: NOK 52,871

Project Period: 2023-2024

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Spatio-temporal habitat use of Svalbard reindeer (RiS ID 12152)

The planned research focuses on understanding the impacts of a changing climate on the spatial dynamics of Svalbard reindeer, a key species in Svalbard’s tundra ecosystem. While harvesting has historically been the primary stressor for Svalbard reindeer populations, climate change will likely be ...

Awarded: NOK 51,366

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Studie of birds As vectoR for inorganiC and organic conTaminants In ArctiC soil systems (RIS-ID 12129)

The main goal for this project is to study the role of birds as vectors for contaminants in Arctic soil systmes, and will include non-targeted screening of organic compounds as well as study of heavy metals and methylmercury in soil samples from bird rich areas to bring new knowledge to the field...

Awarded: NOK 40,316

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

ORganic and inOrganic pollUTants in High Arctic Wetlands and Moss samplEs

This AFG application is to cover fieldwork required for my master thesis project at NTNU with aim to study organic and inorganic pollutants in high Arctic wetlands and moss samples. Wetland areas as well as specific moss species have traditionally been used in studies of atmospheric deposited pol...

Awarded: NOK 27,304

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

STABILITY OF CULTURAL HERITAGE IN SVALBARD IN A GLOBAL WARMING RiS 12106

This MSc Thesis project is going to look at the stability of cultural heritage foundations and other infrastructures. The project is located in Svalbard as all study objects are physically located in Svalbard. The study objects are related to technical-industrial heritage and are the prioritised ...

Awarded: NOK 99,999

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Impact of fur lice on Arctic foxes

This is a pilot project that builds upon ongoing research at the Norwegian Polar Institute in which annual monitoring of the arctic fox population in Svalbard is being carried out. The project manager requires access to the trapped fox carcasses prior to skinning to take photos and to describe an...

Awarded: NOK 21,850

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

The effects of warming climate on parasite-reindeer dynamics in the Arctic. RiS ID: 11856

Parasite and hence parasite-host interactions might change under changing abiotic conditions. A highly understudied but important factor in understanding host-parasite dynamics under a changing climate is how behaviour of parasites and hence contact with hosts could change under a changing climat...

Awarded: NOK 78,786

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Investigate behavioural responses to bioluminescence , RiS ID 12157

Bioluminescence, light produced by a chemical reaction within a living organism, has been found across a broad range of the major groups of organisms from bacteria and protists to zooplankton and fishes. There are many noted functions to bioluminescence including interspecies interaction such as ...

Awarded: NOK 35,568

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Resolving the Impact of Changing Arctic Precipitation on Svalbard Ice Mass Balance

The Arctic is warming at almost four times the mean global rate (Rantanen et al., 2022) and is becoming increasingly wetter: a trend that is predicted to continue as the Arctic Ocean becomes Atlantified, with rapid decline in sea-ice which is now at an all-time minimum (Bailey et al., 2021). Terr...

Awarded: NOK 99,999

Project Period: 2023-2025

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

The source and evolution of Quaternary volcanic activity in NW Spitsbergen (RiS ID 12102)

Several small volcanic centers of Pleistocene age occur in the Woodfjorden area of NW Spitsbergen and are collectively known as the mantle-sourced Bockfjorden Volcanic Complex (BVC). The main magma type identified is basanite, an alkali basaltic variety that is typically associated with active co...

Awarded: NOK 99,999

Project Period: 2023-2024

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

RiS ID 12111: Hydrobatic AUVs for Polar Ocean Sensing (HAPOS)

The term hydrobatics stems from aerobatics and refers to the agile maneuvering of underwater robots. Small and agile underwater robots can revolutionise sensing in polar regions, reducing risks and costs while enabling access to previously inaccessible areas. When coupled with new planning and co...

Awarded: NOK 96,999

Project Period: 2023-2024

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Identifying drivers of senescence in Arctic tundra plants using field and PhenoCam observations, RiS ID: 12093

I propose a study to establish a crucial, yet missing, link between plant senescence observed using manual field methods, and using remote sensing derived vegetation indices. I further aim to identify potential climatic, biogeochemical, and plant physiological drivers of plant senescence in Arcti...

Awarded: NOK 64,831

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Geological survey of oveRbAnk sedimeNts In arcTic strEams

To gain a better understanding of the processes that occur during weathering processes of local geological material connected to Arctic catchment areas and river systems studies of overbank sediments plays a vital role. In general, knowledge about properties of the composition and physical-chemic...

Awarded: NOK 39,029

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Effect and responses of experimental warming on Dryas octopetala-dominated vegetation in High Arctic versus alpine ecosystems, RiS ID 10030

This master thesis aims to investigate the responses of experimental warming of the shrub Dryas octopetala in terms of its abundance, plant height and NDVI at a High Arctic and alpine site. It is expected that both abundance and plant height of Dryas will increase with warming, and that plant hei...

Awarded: NOK 23,941

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Response of shallow marine prokaryote ecosystems in the Boreal Ocean to the Permo-Triassic climate crisis (RiS ID: 12064)

This project aims to reconstruct the microbial community in the shallow Boreal Ocean during the environmental crisis at the Permian/Triassic boundary that coincided with the most severe mass extinction in Earth’s history. By collecting new samples for lipid biomarker analysis at three Permian-Tri...

Awarded: NOK 92,994

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Targeting a Svalbox hiatus: Palaeozoic and Beyond (RiS 12108)

Currently-available Svalbox data mostly cover the Central Spitsbergen Basin, with clear data sparsity north of Pyramiden (“northern hiatus”) and south of Van Keulenfjorden. The "Targeting a Svalbox hiatus: Palaeozoic and Beyond (Svalbox404)" targets the northern hiatus, focusing on the acquisitio...

Awarded: NOK 77,999

Project Period: 2023-2024

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Methylmercury and Total Mercury in Arctic Permafrost (RIS-ID: 12073)

As a student in the international master program in Environmental Toxicology and Environmental Chemistry at NTNU there is a formal study direction for Arctic research. Aim of this direction in the master program is to educate the future Arctic researchers, and the topics for master projects are d...

Awarded: NOK 5,319

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Acoustic monitoring of ice-loss processes in Kongsfjorden

We propose a field campaign in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, with focus on the bays of one or more tidewater glaciers in this region (likely Kronebreen), in September 2023. We will study the acoustics of ice-loss processes in these glaciers, especially submarine glacier melting whose contribution to ic...

Awarded: NOK 99,999

Project Period: 2023-2024

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Effect of Extreme Rainfall on Arthropod Abundance and Emergence across Altitudinal Gradients in Svalbard, RiS ID 11968

Arthropod communities in all ecosystems are being affected by climate change. In the Arctic, preipitation will increase and become more variable. A larger proportion of precipitation will fall as rain rather than snow and extreme summer rainfall events are expected to occur more frequently. There...

Awarded: NOK 33,413

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Traceable Abrasion of Snow Vehicle Belts in Svalbard

The project TRACES will focus on abrasive particles from snow vehicle belts in snow and soil samples collected in Ny-Ålesund and Longyearbyen. The collection will take place in high-trafficked areas and in locations where less or no snow vehicle utilization is considered. Moreover, samples will b...

Awarded: NOK 81,877

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Re-surveying historical vegetation records in Svalbard

The Arctic belongs to the areas most affected by climate change. Following the overall warming of their environment, tundra plant species have been shown to track their suitable climatic niche by shifting their ranges towards cooler places, specifically upward or poleward. With accelerating rates...

Awarded: NOK 98,291

Project Period: 2023-2024

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Linking metagenomics and microscopy to investigate the formation of aggregates of glacial materials on Svalbard. RiS ID 12117

Little is known about the formation of cryoconite – aggregates of mineral particles and microbes held together by exopolymeric substances (EPS) - on glaciers. This project will investigate the different microbial communities found in different sedimental structures throughout a polar year on Foxf...

Awarded: NOK 63,999

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Goose herbivory and strong winter rainfall limit plant uptake of permafrost N, RiS 11069

Plant roots are often associated with mycorrhizal fungi. i.e. mushrooms that colonize plant roots belowground, and play a crucial role in plant uptake of nitrogen (N) which is essential for plant growth. During this fieldwork we will take soil cores at the peak of the growing season to examine th...

Awarded: NOK 37,724

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Tracing warm Atlantic Water in Tempelfjorden, Svalbard - RiS ID 12116

This project uses a combination of high-resolution modelling and observations in Tempelfjorden, a side fjord of Isfjorden with 2 marine-terminating glaciers (MTGs), to investigate under which conditions Atlantic Water (AW) enters the fjord, how it affects MTGs and how it will change with an enhan...

Awarded: NOK 98,482

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Early-Holocene coastal and environmental evolution Isfjorden, Svalbard: lithological and foraminiferal evidence RiS ID: 12101

The aim of this project is to identify and study raised marine deposits from the Early Holocene from two sites in Isfjorden, West Spitsbergen (Bogebekken/Hollendarbukta, Erdmannflya). The study will focus on marine sedimentary processes and environmental changes during the Early Holocene. The stu...

Awarded: NOK 49,512

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Ukjent Fylke

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Developing methodology to measure the bioluminescence of key bioluminescent species (RiS ID: 12158)

Bioluminescence is one of the chief contributors to the light environment at depth in the sea and plays a key role in biological interactions and animal behaviour. There is a wide range of spectral compositions, the various wavelengths which combine to produce light of a particular colour, pre...

Awarded: NOK 35,431

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Ukjent Fylke