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POLARPROG-Polarforskningsprogram

Spatial and temporal dynamics of biogeochemical cycling in Svalbard snowpacks

Tildelt: kr 99 999

Snow covers up to 50% of land during the boreal winter and is an interface that modulates energy and mass exchange between the land, the atmosphere and the cryosphere (e.g., glaciers). Snow and the underlying ice and soil, host complex microbial communities and act as a dynamic multiphase reactor in which chemical and biological processes occur, some of which directly impact the global biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen and other elements. The distinct seasonality in Polar regions causes pronounced changes in biological, chemical and physical properties of snow and ice habitats with consequences for Arctic ecosystems that are presently difficult to anticipate given the paucity in data for certain periods of the year, such as the autumn-winter transition. This is primarily a consequence of the fact that field studies on snow or ice phenomena are each often restricted to a single season and investigated by a single research team. There is a clear need for interdisciplinary studies and year-round monitoring of ecosystems in Arctic environments, as recently highlighted in the 2018 SESS report. This project will address the current lack in comprehensive data on snow/ice transition zones for the autumn-winter period by conducting field based studies on the physical-chemical and biological composition of the snowpack. We will use novel molecular techniques to determine the active versus dormant members of the microbial community and link these to changes in their physical chemical environment during the transition to polar winter, which features sub-freezing temperatures, limited quantities of liquid water in the snow cover and a reduction in light. This will allow us to determine the stability and activity of these communities over time and in relation to climate processes.

Budsjettformål:

POLARPROG-Polarforskningsprogram