The glacial Arctic Ocean was not a barren ice desert but a breeding ground for the evolution of cold adaptation in marine fish. This is the main conclusion of a new scientific publication from Stockholm University that examines small fish bones found in deep-sea sediments during an expedition aboard the Swedish Icebreaker Oden.
Professor Arjen P. Stroeven from Stockholm University and the Bolin Centre for Climate Research is one of 80 scientists behind a new international review highlighting major gaps in our knowledge of Antarctica’s coastal zone. The researchers warn that what we do not yet know about the landscape beneath and around the Antarctic ice could be limiting our ability to predict future sea-level rise.
Climate scenarios are usually presented through models, graphs and reports. At the Broken Greenhouse Research Festival at Stockholm University, they became places to enter, walk between and discuss. On 25–26 September, researchers, artists and visitors met around five sculptural interpretations of possible climate futures.
A few of days ago, on our way south, we saw the first real sunset of the cruise. Shortly before midnight the sun touched the horizon and rose back up from the ice. It was a stunning view, but even more interesting was the atmosphere up on the bridge. People gathering and waiting for the sunset to come. It was really heartwarming to see how many people were eager to admire nature doing its course.
Onboard Oden, we are trying to understand how a changing climate is affecting the Arctic. To do that, scientists observe almost every part of the Arctic system: the atmosphere above us, the sea ice around us, the ocean beneath us, the seafloor and its sediments, and the organisms living both in the water and in the ice.
What is happening beneath thick sea ice, under ice shelves, and in other parts of the polar regions that are difficult for researchers to reach? Researchers now want to develop smart vehicles and sensors that can collect data in places that are difficult for people and research vessels to access.
Five weeks into the expedition, the routines of life aboard Oden are well established, but there is still something new to learn every day. In these three diary entries, Linnea shares lessons from working alongside other research teams, insights into scientific collaboration, and a closer look at the instruments helping us observe the Arctic atmosphere in one of the world's most challenging environments.
The Bolin Centre for Climate Research is opening a call for nominations for a Database Coordinator to lead and further develop the scientific coordination of the Bolin Centre Database.
From fire-prone highlands to lush rainforest and coastal forests, PhD student Friederike Wölke spent part of the summer searching for plants across Madagascar. The specimens she brought back will now help researchers explore how some of the island’s distinctive vegetation evolved, but finding them required flexibility, local expertise and plenty of time in the field.
This year's measurement of Kebnekaise's southern peak shows that the peak has decreased by 0.1 meters compared to last year. This is the eighth year in a row that the southern peak is lower than the northern peak.
We had our first sunset last night. Well, I think it set although it was hard to tell. According to online sun angle calculators the sun was entirely below the horizon, yet we continued to see what appeared to be a sliver of sun hovering above the horizon for what seemed like hours.
Peatlands are key areas for the Earth's climate, storing enormous amounts of carbon. What controls productivity in these types of wetlands is an important question for future climate. Newly appointed professor Malin Kylander has spent two decades trying to understand these processes, digging deep into bogs.
