One of the most prolific cities for studying the Arctic regions is going from strength to strength, with the Centre for Ice, Cryosphere, Carbon and Climate (iC3) attracting more and more international scientists to study the carbon cycle in the polar regions.
Tromsø is stirring in the polar night. In early December, the Centre for Ice, Cryosphere, Carbon and Climate (iC3) announced the arrival of four new scientists to help solve the unknowns of the carbon cycle in the polar regions. This chemical element lies dormant beneath the polar ice caps and in permafrost. The scientific challenge is to estimate these exact quantities – which are proving to be significant – and to understand whether, after the retreat of the ice caps, the carbon makes its way into the atmosphere. If this is the case, it won’t help solve the climate crisis, an issue currently being debated at COP28 in Dubai.
The carbon stored under the ice caps could in any case be mobilized in ecosystems, which are also evolving. “Until a few decades ago, ice was thought to be a sterile environment, but there are many microbes living in it with the help of nutrients and minerals such as iron, and these have the ability to modify ecosystems when the ice melts,” explains Till Bruckner, communicator for the iC3 center, adding that this also has consequences for ocean fishing.
The iC3 center is hosted by The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø (UiT), and last year received a 10-year grant of around 100 million euros from the Norwegian Research Council. Currently, 50 scientists are involved in the project, including young PhD and post-doctorate researchers. Some are Norwegian, but “researchers come from all over the world”, says Till Bruckner.
Joining the project this month are Dr Jon Hawkings from the University of Pennsylvania, Dr Fanny Monteiro from the University of Bristol, and Dr Petra Langebroek from the Norwegian NORCE Institute. “We have people working on glacier tops, then others on water flow or even on research vessels to study the ocean,” he adds.
and ice caps. Image: University of Brussels / Pennsylvania / Bristol / NORCE
Much of the work is also based on the construction of mathematical models and the analysis of observations, such as those made last summer in Greenland and Svalbard. In the near future, field missions will be carried out in Antarctica, using the Norwegian infrastructure of the Troll station. iC3 is located in Tromsø, close to the Norwegian Polar Institute, which provides access to stations and ships such as RV Kronprins Haakon and a supply ship.
The new scientists contribute 20% of their time to the project. In the next few weeks, we’ll be opening up five PhD positions and, next year, post-doctorate positions. “When you’re in Tromsø, it’s striking how many people work on the polar regions, almost a quarter, so it’s easy to find collaborators,” he adds. Between 2016 and 2022, Norway’s Arctic University in Tromsø was voted the most prolific research center on Arctic subjects, with over 2,900 studies published. It’s no wonder that Tromsø is considered Norway’s Arctic capital.
Camille Lin, PolarJournal
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