Norwegian-Russian glaciological activity on Austfonna Ice Cap, Svalbard

Russian scientists from Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences (IGRAS), Moscow, have been involved in glaciological research in Svalbard since end of 1960ies through former Soviet projects. On Austfonna Ice cap they carried out field investig ation in mid 1970ies both with ice core drilling and radio echo soundings. In connection to recently started and planned investigations over the coming years on Austfonna we want to reestablish cooperation with Russian scientists, include former data and include Russian scientists in new field investigations. Austfonna is selected as one site for Calibration-Validation studies for the European Space Agency?s (ESA) new satellite CryoSat with the aim to investigate from space the elevation changes of global ice masses. The ground-based CalVal investigations are planned to be continued until after the launch of CryoSat II in 2009. Austfonna is also a target glacier within the proposed IPY project Glaciodyn (IPY no. 37) in which the aim is to study the mass b alance and dynamic response of a selected number of Arctic glaciers and Ice caps. The planned activity will give input to both these projects. The planned cooperation requires both workshops/planning meetings and field activity. The purpose of the wor kshops is to go through old available data sets that can be used as baseline datasets for the planned field investigations in Austfonna. Joint field investigations are planned in 2007 and 2008. The Russian partner is from Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow. The Norwegian partners are from the Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø and from University of Oslo, Department of Geosciences.