Report for the polar community
| 
26 Oct 2023
Report for the polar community |
| 26 Oct 2023
| 26 Oct 2023
Insights into German polar research during POLARSTUNDE
German National Committee of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS Germany), Germany
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, Research Unit Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
Erik Loebel
German National Committee of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS Germany), Germany
Institut für Planetare Geodäsie, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
Marek Muchow
German National Committee of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS Germany), Germany
School of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 14100, 00076 Aalto, Finland
Donovan Dennis
German National Committee of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS Germany), Germany
German Research Center for Geosciences, GFZ, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam, Germany
Luisa von Albedyll
German National Committee of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS Germany), Germany
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, Research Unit Bremerhaven, Bremerhaven, Germany
Frigga Kruse
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
Heidemarie Kassens
GEOMAR, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
Johanna Grabow
German National Committee of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS Germany), Germany
Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
Dieter Piepenburg
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, Research Unit Bremerhaven, Bremerhaven, Germany
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
Sören Brandt
German National Committee of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS Germany), Germany
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
Rainer Lehmann
Europa Universität Flensburg, Flensburg, Germany
Marlene Jessen
Elly-Heuss-Knapp-Schule, Neumünster, Germany
Friederike Krüger
IGS Bothfeld, Hintzehof 9, Hannover Germany
Monika Kallfelz
Natural History Museum, Bad Dürkheim, Germany
Andreas Preußer
German National Committee of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS Germany), Germany
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, Research Unit Bremerhaven, Bremerhaven, Germany
Matthias Braun
Institute of Geography, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Wetterkreuz 15, Erlangen, Germany
Thorsten Seehaus
Institute of Geography, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Wetterkreuz 15, Erlangen, Germany
Frank Lisker
Fachbereich Geowissenschaften der Universitat Bremen, Bremen, Germany
Daniela Röhnert
Fachbereich Geowissenschaften der Universitat Bremen, Bremen, Germany
Mirko Scheinert
Institut für Planetare Geodäsie, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
Related authors
Steven Franke, Daniel Steinhage, Veit Helm, Tobias Binder, Uwe Nixdorf, Heinrich Miller, Angelika Humbert, Daniela Jansen, Graeme Eagles, Hannes Eisermann, Wilfried Jokat, Antonia Ruppel, Reinhard Drews, Alexandra Zuhr, Amelie Driemel, Andreas Walter, Peter Konopatzky, Robin Heß, Antonie Haas, Roland Koppe, Pascal H. Andreas, and Olaf Eisen
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5328, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5328, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
Short summary
Short summary
This review synthesizes 30 years of AWI’s airborne radar research in Antarctica and Greenland, detailing six radar systems and their applications in studying ice dynamics, basal properties, and subglacial landscapes. It highlights scientific breakthroughs—from mapping ancient buried terrains to improving ice-sheet models—and introduces the public release of AWI’s radar datasets via the Radar Data Viewer and PANGAEA, ensuring FAIR-compliant access for future polar research.
Julien A. Bodart, Vjeran Višnjevic, Steven Franke, Veit Helm, Olaf Eisen, Antoine Hermant, Alexandra M. Zuhr, Daniel Steinhage, and Johannes C. R. Sutter
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5381, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5381, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
Short summary
Short summary
We used radar data and computer models to study layers within Antarctic ice that record past snowfall and ice-sheet changes. These layers, called isochrones, are seldomly used to model of Antarctica’s past. By comparing radar observations with simulations, we show how they can greatly improve model accuracy and provide two new datasets to help refine future reconstructions of Antarctic ice evolution.
Robert G. Bingham, Julien A. Bodart, Marie G. P. Cavitte, Ailsa Chung, Rebecca J. Sanderson, Johannes C. R. Sutter, Olaf Eisen, Nanna B. Karlsson, Joseph A. MacGregor, Neil Ross, Duncan A. Young, David W. Ashmore, Andreas Born, Winnie Chu, Xiangbin Cui, Reinhard Drews, Steven Franke, Vikram Goel, John W. Goodge, A. Clara J. Henry, Antoine Hermant, Benjamin H. Hills, Nicholas Holschuh, Michelle R. Koutnik, Gwendolyn J.-M. C. Leysinger Vieli, Emma J. MacKie, Elisa Mantelli, Carlos Martín, Felix S. L. Ng, Falk M. Oraschewski, Felipe Napoleoni, Frédéric Parrenin, Sergey V. Popov, Therese Rieckh, Rebecca Schlegel, Dustin M. Schroeder, Martin J. Siegert, Xueyuan Tang, Thomas O. Teisberg, Kate Winter, Shuai Yan, Harry Davis, Christine F. Dow, Tyler J. Fudge, Tom A. Jordan, Bernd Kulessa, Kenichi Matsuoka, Clara J. Nyqvist, Maryam Rahnemoonfar, Matthew R. Siegfried, Shivangini Singh, Vjeran Višnjević, Rodrigo Zamora, and Alexandra Zuhr
The Cryosphere, 19, 4611–4655, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4611-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4611-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The ice sheets covering Antarctica have built up over millenia through successive snowfall events which become buried and preserved as internal surfaces of equal age detectable with ice-penetrating radar. This paper describes an international initiative working together on these archival data to build a comprehensive 3-D picture of how old the ice is everywhere across Antarctica and how this is being used to reconstruct past and to predict future ice and climate behaviour.
Steven Franke, Daniel Steinhage, Veit Helm, Alexandra M. Zuhr, Julien A. Bodart, Olaf Eisen, and Paul Bons
The Cryosphere, 19, 1153–1180, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1153-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1153-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The study presents internal reflection horizons (IRHs) over an area of 450 000 km² from western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, spanning 4.8–91 ka. Using radar and ice core data, nine IRHs were dated and correlated with volcanic events. The data enhance our understanding of the ice sheet's age–depth architecture, accumulation, and dynamics. The findings inform ice flow models and contribute to Antarctic-wide comparisons of IRHs, supporting efforts toward a 3D age–depth ice sheet model.
Alexandra M. Zuhr, Sonja Wahl, Hans Christian Steen-Larsen, Maria Hörhold, Hanno Meyer, Vasileios Gkinis, and Thomas Laepple
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 1861–1874, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1861-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1861-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We present stable water isotope data from the accumulation zone of the Greenland ice sheet. A spatial sampling scheme covering 39 m and three depth layers was carried out between 14 May and 3 August 2018. The data suggest spatial and temporal variability related to meteorological conditions, such as wind-driven snow redistribution and vapour–snow exchange processes. The data can be used to study the formation of the stable water isotopes signal, which is seen as a climate proxy.
Nora Hirsch, Alexandra Zuhr, Thomas Münch, Maria Hörhold, Johannes Freitag, Remi Dallmayr, and Thomas Laepple
The Cryosphere, 17, 4207–4221, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4207-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4207-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Stable water isotopes from firn cores provide valuable information on past climates, yet their utility is hampered by stratigraphic noise, i.e. the irregular deposition and wind-driven redistribution of snow. We found stratigraphic noise on the Antarctic Plateau to be related to the local accumulation rate, snow surface roughness and slope inclination, which can guide future decisions on sampling locations and thus increase the resolution of climate reconstructions from low-accumulation areas.
Romilly Harris Stuart, Anne-Katrine Faber, Sonja Wahl, Maria Hörhold, Sepp Kipfstuhl, Kristian Vasskog, Melanie Behrens, Alexandra M. Zuhr, and Hans Christian Steen-Larsen
The Cryosphere, 17, 1185–1204, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1185-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1185-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This empirical study uses continuous daily measurements from the Greenland Ice Sheet to document changes in surface snow properties. Consistent changes in snow isotopic composition are observed in the absence of deposition due to surface processes, indicating the isotopic signal of deposited precipitation is not always preserved. Our observations have potential implications for the interpretation of water isotopes in ice cores – historically assumed to reflect isotopic composition at deposition.
Lena Nicola, Erik Loebel, and Alexandra M. Zuhr
Polarforschung, 90, 81–84, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-90-81-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-90-81-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
To facilitate the search for funding within Germany and internationally, APECS Germany has started to host a list of grant, fellowship and other funding opportunities at https://apecs-germany.de/funding/. In our article, we present our new website while describing the different stages of the quest to find funding and to highlight best practices for, for example, writing grant proposals.
Abigail G. Hughes, Sonja Wahl, Tyler R. Jones, Alexandra Zuhr, Maria Hörhold, James W. C. White, and Hans Christian Steen-Larsen
The Cryosphere, 15, 4949–4974, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4949-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4949-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Water isotope records in Greenland and Antarctic ice cores are a valuable proxy for paleoclimate reconstruction and are traditionally thought to primarily reflect precipitation input. However,
post-depositional processes are hypothesized to contribute to the isotope climate signal. In this study we use laboratory experiments, field experiments, and modeling to show that sublimation and vapor–snow isotope exchange can rapidly influence the isotopic composition of the snowpack.
Alexandra M. Zuhr, Thomas Münch, Hans Christian Steen-Larsen, Maria Hörhold, and Thomas Laepple
The Cryosphere, 15, 4873–4900, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4873-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4873-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Firn and ice cores are used to infer past temperatures. However, the imprint of the climatic signal in stable water isotopes is influenced by depositional modifications. We present and use a photogrammetry structure-from-motion approach and find variability in the amount, the timing, and the location of snowfall. Depositional modifications of the surface are observed, leading to mixing of snow from different snowfall events and spatial locations and thus creating noise in the proxy record.
Steven Franke, Daniel Steinhage, Veit Helm, Tobias Binder, Uwe Nixdorf, Heinrich Miller, Angelika Humbert, Daniela Jansen, Graeme Eagles, Hannes Eisermann, Wilfried Jokat, Antonia Ruppel, Reinhard Drews, Alexandra Zuhr, Amelie Driemel, Andreas Walter, Peter Konopatzky, Robin Heß, Antonie Haas, Roland Koppe, Pascal H. Andreas, and Olaf Eisen
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5328, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5328, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
Short summary
Short summary
This review synthesizes 30 years of AWI’s airborne radar research in Antarctica and Greenland, detailing six radar systems and their applications in studying ice dynamics, basal properties, and subglacial landscapes. It highlights scientific breakthroughs—from mapping ancient buried terrains to improving ice-sheet models—and introduces the public release of AWI’s radar datasets via the Radar Data Viewer and PANGAEA, ensuring FAIR-compliant access for future polar research.
Akash M. Patil, Christoph Mayer, Thorsten Seehaus, Alexander R. Groos, and Andreas Bauder
The Cryosphere, 19, 5547–5577, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-5547-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-5547-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We studied how the density of snow to ice transition varies with depth in the Aletsch glacier using radar-based field measurements and some simple models. We showed that it is possible to track how much snow has accumulated in the last 10–14 years. This helps improve the uncertainties in glacier mass balance estimates. Overall, by utilising non-invasive radar techniques and models, we provide a novel approach to understanding the evolution of glaciers under regional climate conditions.
Julien A. Bodart, Vjeran Višnjevic, Steven Franke, Veit Helm, Olaf Eisen, Antoine Hermant, Alexandra M. Zuhr, Daniel Steinhage, and Johannes C. R. Sutter
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5381, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5381, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
Short summary
Short summary
We used radar data and computer models to study layers within Antarctic ice that record past snowfall and ice-sheet changes. These layers, called isochrones, are seldomly used to model of Antarctica’s past. By comparing radar observations with simulations, we show how they can greatly improve model accuracy and provide two new datasets to help refine future reconstructions of Antarctic ice evolution.
Marcel Dreier, Moritz Koch, Nora Gourmelon, Norbert Blindow, Daniel Steinhage, Fei Wu, Thorsten Seehaus, Matthias Braun, Andreas Maier, and Vincent Christlein
The Cryosphere, 19, 5337–5359, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-5337-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-5337-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper, we present a ready-to-use benchmark dataset to train machine learning approaches for detecting ice thickness from radar data. It includes radargrams of glaciers and ice sheets alongside annotations for their air–ice and ice–bedrock boundary. Furthermore, we introduce a baseline model and evaluate the influence of several geographical and glaciological factors on the performance of our model.
Robert G. Bingham, Julien A. Bodart, Marie G. P. Cavitte, Ailsa Chung, Rebecca J. Sanderson, Johannes C. R. Sutter, Olaf Eisen, Nanna B. Karlsson, Joseph A. MacGregor, Neil Ross, Duncan A. Young, David W. Ashmore, Andreas Born, Winnie Chu, Xiangbin Cui, Reinhard Drews, Steven Franke, Vikram Goel, John W. Goodge, A. Clara J. Henry, Antoine Hermant, Benjamin H. Hills, Nicholas Holschuh, Michelle R. Koutnik, Gwendolyn J.-M. C. Leysinger Vieli, Emma J. MacKie, Elisa Mantelli, Carlos Martín, Felix S. L. Ng, Falk M. Oraschewski, Felipe Napoleoni, Frédéric Parrenin, Sergey V. Popov, Therese Rieckh, Rebecca Schlegel, Dustin M. Schroeder, Martin J. Siegert, Xueyuan Tang, Thomas O. Teisberg, Kate Winter, Shuai Yan, Harry Davis, Christine F. Dow, Tyler J. Fudge, Tom A. Jordan, Bernd Kulessa, Kenichi Matsuoka, Clara J. Nyqvist, Maryam Rahnemoonfar, Matthew R. Siegfried, Shivangini Singh, Vjeran Višnjević, Rodrigo Zamora, and Alexandra Zuhr
The Cryosphere, 19, 4611–4655, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4611-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4611-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The ice sheets covering Antarctica have built up over millenia through successive snowfall events which become buried and preserved as internal surfaces of equal age detectable with ice-penetrating radar. This paper describes an international initiative working together on these archival data to build a comprehensive 3-D picture of how old the ice is everywhere across Antarctica and how this is being used to reconstruct past and to predict future ice and climate behaviour.
Marius Schaefer, Ilaria Tabone, Ralf Greve, Johannes Fürst, and Matthias Braun
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4167, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4167, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The Northern Patagonian Icefield is the second largest ice mass of South America, located at moderate latitudes. Using an ice-flow model which uses available atmosphere data as input and explicitly models iceberg discharge, we assess its evolution. With present climate, it will lose about 25 % of its mass during this century. Climate change strongly accelerates losses and under Paris Agreement compliance it is 36 % until 2200 and up to 68 % under a business-as-usual fossil fuel scenario.
Colin Jones, Isaline Bossert, Donovan P. Dennis, Hazel Jeffery, Chris D. Jones, Torben Koenigk, Sina Loriani, Benjamin Sanderson, Roland Séférian, Klaus Wyser, Shuting Yang, Manabu Abe, Sebastian Bathiany, Pascale Braconnot, Victor Brovkin, Friedrich A. Burger, Patrica Cadule, Frederic S. Castruccio, Gokhan Danabasoglu, Andrea Dittus, Jonathan F. Donges, Friederike Fröb, Thomas Frölicher, Goran Georgievski, Chuncheng Guo, Aixue Hu, Peter Lawrence, Paul Lerner, José Licón-Saláiz, Bette Otto-Bliesner, Anastasia Romanou, Elena Shevliakova, Yona Silvy, Didier Swingedouw, Jerry Tjiputra, Jeremy Walton, Andy Wiltshire, Ricarda Winkelmann, Richard Wood, Tokuta Yokohata, and Tilo Ziehn
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3604, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3604, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Geoscientific Model Development (GMD).
Short summary
Short summary
We introduce a new Earth system model experiment protocol to help researchers understand how Earth might respond to positive, zero, and negative carbon emissions. This protocol enables different models to be compared following similar warming and cooling rates. Researchers use the models to explore how the Earth reacts to different climate futures, including the risk of tipping points being exceeded and whether changes can be reversed. The results will support improved long-term climate policy.
Vijaya Kumar Thota, Thorsten Seehaus, Friedrich Knuth, Amaury Dehecq, Christian Salewski, and Matthias Braun
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-490, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-490, 2025
Revised manuscript under review for ESSD
Short summary
Short summary
We studied past glacier changes in a rapidly warming Antarctic region with little historical data. Using approximately 2000 aerial photographs from the year 1989 over the western Antarctic Peninsula and nearby islands, we created detailed elevation models and orthoimages that have high accuracy compared to recent satellite data. This open dataset aids tracking historical ice loss and its role in sea level rise.
Angelika Humbert, Veit Helm, Ole Zeising, Niklas Neckel, Matthias H. Braun, Shfaqat Abbas Khan, Martin Rückamp, Holger Steeb, Julia Sohn, Matthias Bohnen, and Ralf Müller
The Cryosphere, 19, 3009–3032, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3009-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3009-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We study the evolution of a massive lake on the Greenland Ice Sheet using satellite and airborne data and some modelling. The lake is emptying rapidly. Water flows to the glacier's base through cracks and triangular-shaped moulins that remain visible over the years. Some of them become reactivated. We find features inside the glacier that stem from drainage events with a width of even 1 km. These features are persistent over the years, although they are changing in shape.
Katrina Lutz, Ilaria Tabone, Angelika Humbert, and Matthias Braun
The Cryosphere, 19, 2601–2614, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2601-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2601-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Supraglacial lakes develop from meltwater collecting on the surface of glaciers. These lakes can drain rapidly, discharging meltwater to the glacier bed. In this study, we assess the spatial and temporal distribution of rapid drainages in Northeast Greenland using optical satellite images. After comparing rapid drainage occurrence with several environmental and geophysical parameters, little indication of the influencing conditions for a rapid drainage was found.
Theresa Dobler, Wilfried Hagg, Martin Rückamp, Thorsten Seehaus, and Christoph Mayer
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2513, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2513, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We studied how a glacier in the Austrian Alps moves more slowly over time due to climate change. By combining long-term field data with recent aerial images, we show how thinning reduce glacier flow. Standard satellite methods failed to detect this slow movement, so we used manual tracking to create a reliable map. Our findings help understand changes in glacier behavior in a warming climate.
Sofie Hedetoft, Olivia Bang Brinck, Ruth Mottram, Andrea M. U. Gierisch, Steffen Malskær Olsen, Martin Olesen, Nicolaj Hansen, Anders Anker Bjørk, Erik Loebel, Anne Solgaard, and Peter Thejll
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1907, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1907, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Iceberg mélange is the jumble of icebergs in front of some glaciers that calve into the sea. Some studies suggest mélange might help to control the retreat of glaciers. We studied 3 glaciers in NW Greenland where we used GPS sensors and satellites to track ice movement. We found that glaciers push forward and calve all year, including when mélange and landfast sea ice are present, suggesting mélange is not important in supporting glaciers, but may influence the seasonal calving cycle.
Ricarda Winkelmann, Donovan P. Dennis, Jonathan F. Donges, Sina Loriani, Ann Kristin Klose, Jesse F. Abrams, Jorge Alvarez-Solas, Torsten Albrecht, David Armstrong McKay, Sebastian Bathiany, Javier Blasco Navarro, Victor Brovkin, Eleanor Burke, Gokhan Danabasoglu, Reik V. Donner, Markus Drüke, Goran Georgievski, Heiko Goelzer, Anna B. Harper, Gabriele Hegerl, Marina Hirota, Aixue Hu, Laura C. Jackson, Colin Jones, Hyungjun Kim, Torben Koenigk, Peter Lawrence, Timothy M. Lenton, Hannah Liddy, José Licón-Saláiz, Maxence Menthon, Marisa Montoya, Jan Nitzbon, Sophie Nowicki, Bette Otto-Bliesner, Francesco Pausata, Stefan Rahmstorf, Karoline Ramin, Alexander Robinson, Johan Rockström, Anastasia Romanou, Boris Sakschewski, Christina Schädel, Steven Sherwood, Robin S. Smith, Norman J. Steinert, Didier Swingedouw, Matteo Willeit, Wilbert Weijer, Richard Wood, Klaus Wyser, and Shuting Yang
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1899, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1899, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The Tipping Points Modelling Intercomparison Project (TIPMIP) is an international collaborative effort to systematically assess tipping point risks in the Earth system using state-of-the-art coupled and stand-alone domain models. TIPMIP will provide a first global atlas of potential tipping dynamics, respective critical thresholds and key uncertainties, generating an important building block towards a comprehensive scientific basis for policy- and decision-making.
Torsten Kanzow, Angelika Humbert, Thomas Mölg, Mirko Scheinert, Matthias Braun, Hans Burchard, Francesca Doglioni, Philipp Hochreuther, Martin Horwath, Oliver Huhn, Maria Kappelsberger, Jürgen Kusche, Erik Loebel, Katrina Lutz, Ben Marzeion, Rebecca McPherson, Mahdi Mohammadi-Aragh, Marco Möller, Carolyne Pickler, Markus Reinert, Monika Rhein, Martin Rückamp, Janin Schaffer, Muhammad Shafeeque, Sophie Stolzenberger, Ralph Timmermann, Jenny Turton, Claudia Wekerle, and Ole Zeising
The Cryosphere, 19, 1789–1824, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1789-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1789-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The Greenland Ice Sheet represents the second-largest contributor to global sea-level rise. We quantify atmosphere, ice and ocean processes related to the mass balance of glaciers in northeast Greenland, focusing on Greenland’s largest floating ice tongue, the 79° N Glacier. We find that together, the different in situ and remote sensing observations and model simulations reveal a consistent picture of a coupled atmosphere–ice sheet–ocean system that has entered a phase of major change.
Eric Buchta, Mirko Scheinert, Matt A. King, Terry Wilson, Achraf Koulali, Peter J. Clarke, Demián Gómez, Eric Kendrick, Christoph Knöfel, and Peter Busch
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 1761–1780, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-1761-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-1761-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Geodetic GPS measurements in Antarctica have been used to track bedrock displacement, which is vital for understanding geodynamic processes such as plate motion and glacial isostatic adjustment. However, the potential of GPS data has been limited by its partially fragmented availability and unreliable metadata. A new dataset, which spans the period from 1995 to 2021, offers consistently processed coordinate time series for 286 GPS sites and promises to enhance future geodynamic research.
Kaian Shahateet, Johannes J. Fürst, Francisco Navarro, Thorsten Seehaus, Daniel Farinotti, and Matthias Braun
The Cryosphere, 19, 1577–1597, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1577-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1577-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
In the present work, we provide a new ice thickness reconstruction of the Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet north of 70º S using inversion modeling. This model consists of two steps: the first uses basic assumptions of the rheology of the glacier, and the second uses mass conservation to improve the reconstruction where the assumptions made previously are expected to fail. Validation with independent data showed that our reconstruction improved compared to other reconstructions that are available.
Steven Franke, Daniel Steinhage, Veit Helm, Alexandra M. Zuhr, Julien A. Bodart, Olaf Eisen, and Paul Bons
The Cryosphere, 19, 1153–1180, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1153-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1153-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The study presents internal reflection horizons (IRHs) over an area of 450 000 km² from western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, spanning 4.8–91 ka. Using radar and ice core data, nine IRHs were dated and correlated with volcanic events. The data enhance our understanding of the ice sheet's age–depth architecture, accumulation, and dynamics. The findings inform ice flow models and contribute to Antarctic-wide comparisons of IRHs, supporting efforts toward a 3D age–depth ice sheet model.
Erik Loebel, Celia A. Baumhoer, Andreas Dietz, Mirko Scheinert, and Martin Horwath
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 65–78, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-65-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-65-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Glacier calving front positions are important for understanding glacier dynamics and constraining ice modelling. We apply a deep-learning framework to multi-spectral Landsat imagery to create a calving front record for 42 key outlet glaciers of the Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet. The resulting data product includes 4817 calving front locations from 2013 to 2023 and achieves sub-seasonal temporal resolution.
Igor A. Dmitrenko, Vladislav Petrusevich, Andreas Preußer, Ksenia Kosobokova, Caroline Bouchard, Maxime Geoffroy, Alexander S. Komarov, David G. Babb, Sergei A. Kirillov, and David G. Barber
Ocean Sci., 20, 1677–1705, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-1677-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-1677-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The diel vertical migration (DVM) of zooplankton is one of the largest species migrations to occur globally and is a key driver of regional ecosystems. Here, time series of acoustic data collected at the circumpolar Arctic polynya system were used to examine the annual cycle of DVM. We revealed that the formation of polynya open water disrupts DVM. This disruption is attributed to a predator avoidance behavior of zooplankton in response to higher polar cod abundance attracted by the polynya.
Katrina Lutz, Lily Bever, Christian Sommer, Thorsten Seehaus, Angelika Humbert, Mirko Scheinert, and Matthias Braun
The Cryosphere, 18, 5431–5449, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5431-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5431-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The estimation of the amount of water found within supraglacial lakes is important for understanding how much water is lost from glaciers each year. Here, we develop two new methods for estimating supraglacial lake volume that can be easily applied on a large scale. Furthermore, we compare these methods to two previously developed methods in order to determine when it is best to use each method. Finally, three of these methods are applied to peak melt dates over an area in Northeast Greenland.
Marek Muchow and Arttu Polojärvi
The Cryosphere, 18, 4765–4774, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4765-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4765-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We present the first explicit three-dimensional simulations of sea-ice ridge formation, which enables us to observe failure in several locations simultaneously. Sea-ice ridges are formed when ice converges and fails due to wind and ocean currents, so broken ice accumulates in a ridge. Previous two-dimensional models could not capture this behavior. We conclude that non-simultaneous failure is necessary to simulate ridging forces to assess how ridging forces relate to other ice properties.
Yi Zhou, Xianwei Wang, Ruibo Lei, Arttu Jutila, Donald K. Perovich, Luisa von Albedyll, Dmitry V. Divine, Yu Zhang, and Christian Haas
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2821, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2821, 2024
Preprint archived
Short summary
Short summary
This study examines how the bulk density of Arctic sea ice varies seasonally, a factor often overlooked in satellite measurements of sea ice thickness. From October to April, we found significant seasonal variations in sea ice bulk density at different spatial scales using direct observations as well as airborne and satellite data. New models were then developed to indirectly predict sea ice bulk density. This advance can improve our ability to monitor changes in Arctic sea ice.
Veit Helm, Alireza Dehghanpour, Ronny Hänsch, Erik Loebel, Martin Horwath, and Angelika Humbert
The Cryosphere, 18, 3933–3970, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3933-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3933-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We present a new approach (AWI-ICENet1), based on a deep convolutional neural network, for analysing satellite radar altimeter measurements to accurately determine the surface height of ice sheets. Surface height estimates obtained with AWI-ICENet1 (along with related products, such as ice sheet height change and volume change) show improved and unbiased results compared to other products. This is important for the long-term monitoring of ice sheet mass loss and its impact on sea level rise.
Erik Loebel, Mirko Scheinert, Martin Horwath, Angelika Humbert, Julia Sohn, Konrad Heidler, Charlotte Liebezeit, and Xiao Xiang Zhu
The Cryosphere, 18, 3315–3332, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3315-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3315-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Comprehensive datasets of calving-front changes are essential for studying and modeling outlet glaciers. Current records are limited in temporal resolution due to manual delineation. We use deep learning to automatically delineate calving fronts for 23 glaciers in Greenland. Resulting time series resolve long-term, seasonal, and subseasonal patterns. We discuss the implications of our results and provide the cryosphere community with a data product and an implementation of our processing system.
Livia Piermattei, Michael Zemp, Christian Sommer, Fanny Brun, Matthias H. Braun, Liss M. Andreassen, Joaquín M. C. Belart, Etienne Berthier, Atanu Bhattacharya, Laura Boehm Vock, Tobias Bolch, Amaury Dehecq, Inés Dussaillant, Daniel Falaschi, Caitlyn Florentine, Dana Floricioiu, Christian Ginzler, Gregoire Guillet, Romain Hugonnet, Matthias Huss, Andreas Kääb, Owen King, Christoph Klug, Friedrich Knuth, Lukas Krieger, Jeff La Frenierre, Robert McNabb, Christopher McNeil, Rainer Prinz, Louis Sass, Thorsten Seehaus, David Shean, Désirée Treichler, Anja Wendt, and Ruitang Yang
The Cryosphere, 18, 3195–3230, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3195-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3195-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Satellites have made it possible to observe glacier elevation changes from all around the world. In the present study, we compared the results produced from two different types of satellite data between different research groups and against validation measurements from aeroplanes. We found a large spread between individual results but showed that the group ensemble can be used to reliably estimate glacier elevation changes and related errors from satellite data.
Niels Fuchs, Luisa von Albedyll, Gerit Birnbaum, Felix Linhardt, Natascha Oppelt, and Christian Haas
The Cryosphere, 18, 2991–3015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2991-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2991-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Melt ponds are key components of the Arctic sea ice system, yet methods to derive comprehensive pond depth data are missing. We present a shallow-water bathymetry retrieval to derive this elementary pond property at high spatial resolution from aerial images. The retrieval method is presented in a user-friendly way to facilitate replication. Furthermore, we provide pond properties on the MOSAiC expedition floe, giving insights into the three-dimensional pond evolution before and after drainage.
Yi Zhou, Xianwei Wang, Ruibo Lei, Luisa von Albedyll, Donald K. Perovich, Yu Zhang, and Christian Haas
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1240, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1240, 2024
Preprint archived
Short summary
Short summary
This study examines how the density of Arctic sea ice varies seasonally, a factor often overlooked in satellite measurements of sea ice thickness. From October to April, using direct observations and satellite data, we found that sea ice density decreases significantly until mid-January due to increased porosity as the ice ages, and then stabilizes until April. We then developed new models to estimate sea ice density. This advance can improve our ability to monitor changes in Arctic sea ice.
Alexandra M. Zuhr, Sonja Wahl, Hans Christian Steen-Larsen, Maria Hörhold, Hanno Meyer, Vasileios Gkinis, and Thomas Laepple
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 1861–1874, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1861-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1861-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We present stable water isotope data from the accumulation zone of the Greenland ice sheet. A spatial sampling scheme covering 39 m and three depth layers was carried out between 14 May and 3 August 2018. The data suggest spatial and temporal variability related to meteorological conditions, such as wind-driven snow redistribution and vapour–snow exchange processes. The data can be used to study the formation of the stable water isotopes signal, which is seen as a climate proxy.
Luisa von Albedyll, Stefan Hendricks, Nils Hutter, Dmitrii Murashkin, Lars Kaleschke, Sascha Willmes, Linda Thielke, Xiangshan Tian-Kunze, Gunnar Spreen, and Christian Haas
The Cryosphere, 18, 1259–1285, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1259-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1259-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Leads (openings in sea ice cover) are created by sea ice dynamics. Because they are important for many processes in the Arctic winter climate, we aim to detect them with satellites. We present two new techniques to detect lead widths of a few hundred meters at high spatial resolution (700 m) and independent of clouds or sun illumination. We use the MOSAiC drift 2019–2020 in the Arctic for our case study and compare our new products to other existing lead products.
Dieter Piepenburg, Thomas Brey, Katharina Teschke, Jennifer Dannheim, Paul Kloss, Marianne Rehage, Miriam L. S. Hansen, and Casper Kraan
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 1177–1184, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1177-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1177-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Research on ecological footprints of climate change and human impacts in Arctic seas is still hampered by problems in accessing sound data, which is unevenly distributed among regions and faunal groups. To address this issue, we present the PAN-Arctic data collection of benthic BIOtas (PANABIO). It provides open access to valuable biodiversity information by integrating data from various sources and of various formats and offers versatile exploration tools for data filtering and mapping.
Anna Wendleder, Jasmin Bramboeck, Jamie Izzard, Thilo Erbertseder, Pablo d'Angelo, Andreas Schmitt, Duncan J. Quincey, Christoph Mayer, and Matthias H. Braun
The Cryosphere, 18, 1085–1103, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1085-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1085-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study analyses the basal sliding and the hydrological drainage of Baltoro Glacier, Pakistan. The surface velocity was characterized by a spring speed-up, summer peak, and autumn speed-up. Snow melt has the largest impact on the spring speed-up, summer velocity peak, and the transition from inefficient to efficient drainage. Drainage from supraglacial lakes contributed to the fall speed-up. Increased summer temperatures will intensify the magnitude of meltwater and thus surface velocities.
Matthias O. Willen, Martin Horwath, Eric Buchta, Mirko Scheinert, Veit Helm, Bernd Uebbing, and Jürgen Kusche
The Cryosphere, 18, 775–790, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-775-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-775-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Shrinkage of the Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) leads to sea level rise. Satellite gravimetry measures AIS mass changes. We apply a new method that overcomes two limitations: low spatial resolution and large uncertainties due to the Earth's interior mass changes. To do so, we additionally include data from satellite altimetry and climate and firn modelling, which are evaluated in a globally consistent way with thoroughly characterized errors. The results are in better agreement with independent data.
Reinhard Dietrich, Christoph Knöfel, Mirko Scheinert, and Ralf Rosenau
Polarforschung, 92, 1–13, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-92-1-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-92-1-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Drygalski führte in den Jahren 1891 und 1892/93 Forschungsarbeiten in Westgrönland durch, wobei zur Überwinterung eine Forschungsstation am Großen Karajak-Gletscher errichtetet wurde. An gleicher Stelle erfolgten durch die TU Dresden 2007 und 2019 geodätische Feldarbeiten. Im Beitrag werden das Areal der damaligen Station sowie die Forschungsarbeiten Drygalskis vorgestellt. Ein Vergleich mit heutigen Messungen zeigt, dass sich der Große Karajak-Gletscher in 120 Jahren kaum verändert hat.
Oskar Herrmann, Nora Gourmelon, Thorsten Seehaus, Andreas Maier, Johannes J. Fürst, Matthias H. Braun, and Vincent Christlein
The Cryosphere, 17, 4957–4977, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4957-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4957-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Delineating calving fronts of marine-terminating glaciers in satellite images is a labour-intensive task. We propose a method based on deep learning that automates this task. We choose a deep learning framework that adapts to any given dataset without needing deep learning expertise. The method is evaluated on a benchmark dataset for calving-front detection and glacier zone segmentation. The framework can beat the benchmark baseline without major modifications.
Pablo Saavedra Garfias, Heike Kalesse-Los, Luisa von Albedyll, Hannes Griesche, and Gunnar Spreen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 14521–14546, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14521-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14521-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
An important Arctic climate process is the release of heat fluxes from sea ice openings to the atmosphere that influence the clouds. The characterization of this process is the objective of this study. Using synergistic observations from the MOSAiC expedition, we found that single-layer cloud properties show significant differences when clouds are coupled or decoupled to the water vapour transport which is used as physical link between the upwind sea ice openings and the cloud under observation.
Thorsten Seehaus, Christian Sommer, Thomas Dethinne, and Philipp Malz
The Cryosphere, 17, 4629–4644, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4629-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4629-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Existing mass budget estimates for the northern Antarctic Peninsula (>70° S) are affected by considerable limitations. We carried out the first region-wide analysis of geodetic mass balances throughout this region (coverage of 96.4 %) for the period 2013–2017 based on repeat pass bi-static TanDEM-X acquisitions. A total mass budget of −24.1±2.8 Gt/a is revealed. Imbalanced high ice discharge, particularly at former ice shelf tributaries, is the main driver of overall ice loss.
Nora Hirsch, Alexandra Zuhr, Thomas Münch, Maria Hörhold, Johannes Freitag, Remi Dallmayr, and Thomas Laepple
The Cryosphere, 17, 4207–4221, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4207-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4207-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Stable water isotopes from firn cores provide valuable information on past climates, yet their utility is hampered by stratigraphic noise, i.e. the irregular deposition and wind-driven redistribution of snow. We found stratigraphic noise on the Antarctic Plateau to be related to the local accumulation rate, snow surface roughness and slope inclination, which can guide future decisions on sampling locations and thus increase the resolution of climate reconstructions from low-accumulation areas.
Damien Ringeisen, Nils Hutter, and Luisa von Albedyll
The Cryosphere, 17, 4047–4061, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4047-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4047-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
When sea ice is put into motion by wind and ocean currents, it deforms following narrow lines. Our two datasets at different locations and resolutions show that the intersection angle between these lines is often acute and rarely obtuse. We use the orientation of narrow lines to gain indications about the mechanical properties of sea ice and to constrain how to design sea-ice mechanical models for high-resolution simulation of the Arctic and improve regional predictions of sea-ice motion.
Angelika Graiff, Matthias Braun, Amelie Driemel, Jörg Ebbing, Hans-Peter Grossart, Tilmann Harder, Joseph I. Hoffman, Boris Koch, Florian Leese, Judith Piontek, Mirko Scheinert, Petra Quillfeldt, Jonas Zimmermann, and Ulf Karsten
Polarforschung, 91, 45–57, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-91-45-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-91-45-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
There are many approaches to better understanding Antarctic processes that generate very large data sets (
Antarctic big data). For these large data sets there is a pressing need for improved data acquisition, curation, integration, service, and application to support fundamental scientific research, and this article describes and evaluates the current status of big data in various Antarctic scientific disciplines, identifies current gaps, and provides solutions to fill these gaps.
Angelika Humbert, Veit Helm, Niklas Neckel, Ole Zeising, Martin Rückamp, Shfaqat Abbas Khan, Erik Loebel, Jörg Brauchle, Karsten Stebner, Dietmar Gross, Rabea Sondershaus, and Ralf Müller
The Cryosphere, 17, 2851–2870, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2851-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2851-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The largest floating glacier mass in Greenland, the 79° N Glacier, is showing signs of instability. We investigate how crack formation at the glacier's calving front has changed over the last decades by using satellite imagery and airborne data. The calving front is about to lose contact to stabilizing ice islands. Simulations show that the glacier will accelerate as a result of this, leading to an increase in ice discharge of more than 5.1 % if its calving front retreats by 46 %.
Franziska Temme, David Farías-Barahona, Thorsten Seehaus, Ricardo Jaña, Jorge Arigony-Neto, Inti Gonzalez, Anselm Arndt, Tobias Sauter, Christoph Schneider, and Johannes J. Fürst
The Cryosphere, 17, 2343–2365, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2343-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2343-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Calibration of surface mass balance (SMB) models on regional scales is challenging. We investigate different calibration strategies with the goal of achieving realistic simulations of the SMB in the Monte Sarmiento Massif, Tierra del Fuego. Our results show that the use of regional observations from satellite data can improve the model performance. Furthermore, we compare four melt models of different complexity to understand the benefit of increasing the processes considered in the model.
Christian Sommer, Johannes J. Fürst, Matthias Huss, and Matthias H. Braun
The Cryosphere, 17, 2285–2303, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2285-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2285-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Knowledge on the volume of glaciers is important to project future runoff. Here, we present a novel approach to reconstruct the regional ice thickness distribution from easily available remote-sensing data. We show that past ice thickness, derived from spaceborne glacier area and elevation datasets, can constrain the estimated ice thickness. Based on the unique glaciological database of the European Alps, the approach will be most beneficial in regions without direct thickness measurements.
Frigga Kruse
Polarforschung, 91, 19–20, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-91-19-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-91-19-2023, 2023
Romilly Harris Stuart, Anne-Katrine Faber, Sonja Wahl, Maria Hörhold, Sepp Kipfstuhl, Kristian Vasskog, Melanie Behrens, Alexandra M. Zuhr, and Hans Christian Steen-Larsen
The Cryosphere, 17, 1185–1204, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1185-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1185-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This empirical study uses continuous daily measurements from the Greenland Ice Sheet to document changes in surface snow properties. Consistent changes in snow isotopic composition are observed in the absence of deposition due to surface processes, indicating the isotopic signal of deposited precipitation is not always preserved. Our observations have potential implications for the interpretation of water isotopes in ice cores – historically assumed to reflect isotopic composition at deposition.
Lena Nicola, Erik Loebel, and Alexandra M. Zuhr
Polarforschung, 90, 81–84, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-90-81-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-90-81-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
To facilitate the search for funding within Germany and internationally, APECS Germany has started to host a list of grant, fellowship and other funding opportunities at https://apecs-germany.de/funding/. In our article, we present our new website while describing the different stages of the quest to find funding and to highlight best practices for, for example, writing grant proposals.
Julian Gutt, Stefanie Arndt, David Keith Alan Barnes, Horst Bornemann, Thomas Brey, Olaf Eisen, Hauke Flores, Huw Griffiths, Christian Haas, Stefan Hain, Tore Hattermann, Christoph Held, Mario Hoppema, Enrique Isla, Markus Janout, Céline Le Bohec, Heike Link, Felix Christopher Mark, Sebastien Moreau, Scarlett Trimborn, Ilse van Opzeeland, Hans-Otto Pörtner, Fokje Schaafsma, Katharina Teschke, Sandra Tippenhauer, Anton Van de Putte, Mia Wege, Daniel Zitterbart, and Dieter Piepenburg
Biogeosciences, 19, 5313–5342, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5313-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5313-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Long-term ecological observations are key to assess, understand and predict impacts of environmental change on biotas. We present a multidisciplinary framework for such largely lacking investigations in the East Antarctic Southern Ocean, combined with case studies, experimental and modelling work. As climate change is still minor here but is projected to start soon, the timely implementation of this framework provides the unique opportunity to document its ecological impacts from the very onset.
Matthias Lang, Philippe Kluge, Frigga Kruse, and Vinzenz Rosenkranz
Polarforschung, 90, 49–61, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-90-49-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-90-49-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The paper describes the development of a virtual reality environment of the British mining settlement Advent City on Svalbard based on historical and archaeological sources. In our paper we will discuss in detail the genesis of the 3D model as well as the virtual reality environment and afterwards discuss the benefit of such a digital world for disseminating the results of polar archaeological research to students and teachers at schools and universities and the interested public.
Nora Gourmelon, Thorsten Seehaus, Matthias Braun, Andreas Maier, and Vincent Christlein
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 4287–4313, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-4287-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-4287-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Ice loss of glaciers shows in retreating calving fronts (i.e., the position where icebergs break off the glacier and drift into the ocean). This paper presents a benchmark dataset for calving front delineation in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. The dataset can be used to train and test deep learning techniques, which automate the monitoring of the calving front. Provided example models achieve front delineations with an average distance of 887 m to the correct calving front.
Erik Loebel, Luisa von Albedyll, Rey Mourot, and Lena Nicola
Polarforschung, 90, 29–32, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-90-29-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-90-29-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
On the occasion of Polar Week in March 2021 and with the motto
let’s talk fieldwork, APECS Germany hosted an online polar fieldwork panel discussion. Joined by a group of six early-career polar scientists and an audience of over 140 participants, the event provided an informal environment for debating experiences, issues and ideas. This contribution summarizes the event, sharing practical knowledge about polar fieldwork and fieldwork opportunities for early-career scientists.
Arttu Jutila, Stefan Hendricks, Robert Ricker, Luisa von Albedyll, Thomas Krumpen, and Christian Haas
The Cryosphere, 16, 259–275, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-259-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-259-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Sea-ice thickness retrieval from satellite altimeters relies on assumed sea-ice density values because density cannot be measured from space. We derived bulk densities for different ice types using airborne laser, radar, and electromagnetic induction sounding measurements. Compared to previous studies, we found high bulk density values due to ice deformation and younger ice cover. Using sea-ice freeboard, we derived a sea-ice bulk density parameterisation that can be applied to satellite data.
Christian Sommer, Thorsten Seehaus, Andrey Glazovsky, and Matthias H. Braun
The Cryosphere, 16, 35–42, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-35-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-35-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Arctic glaciers have been subject to extensive warming due to global climate change, yet their contribution to sea level rise has been relatively small in the past. In this study we provide mass changes of most glaciers of the Russian High Arctic (Franz Josef Land, Severnaya Zemlya, Novaya Zemlya). We use TanDEM-X satellite measurements to derive glacier surface elevation changes. Our results show an increase in glacier mass loss and a sea level rise contribution of 0.06 mm/a (2010–2017).
Abigail G. Hughes, Sonja Wahl, Tyler R. Jones, Alexandra Zuhr, Maria Hörhold, James W. C. White, and Hans Christian Steen-Larsen
The Cryosphere, 15, 4949–4974, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4949-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4949-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Water isotope records in Greenland and Antarctic ice cores are a valuable proxy for paleoclimate reconstruction and are traditionally thought to primarily reflect precipitation input. However,
post-depositional processes are hypothesized to contribute to the isotope climate signal. In this study we use laboratory experiments, field experiments, and modeling to show that sublimation and vapor–snow isotope exchange can rapidly influence the isotopic composition of the snowpack.
Alexandra M. Zuhr, Thomas Münch, Hans Christian Steen-Larsen, Maria Hörhold, and Thomas Laepple
The Cryosphere, 15, 4873–4900, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4873-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4873-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Firn and ice cores are used to infer past temperatures. However, the imprint of the climatic signal in stable water isotopes is influenced by depositional modifications. We present and use a photogrammetry structure-from-motion approach and find variability in the amount, the timing, and the location of snowfall. Depositional modifications of the surface are observed, leading to mixing of snow from different snowfall events and spatial locations and thus creating noise in the proxy record.
Peter Friedl, Thorsten Seehaus, and Matthias Braun
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 4653–4675, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4653-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4653-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Consistent and continuous data on glacier surface velocity are important inputs to time series analyses, numerical ice dynamic modeling and glacier mass flux computations. We present a new data set of glacier surface velocities derived from Sentinel-1 radar satellite data that covers 12 major glaciated regions outside the polar ice sheets. The data comprise continuously updated scene-pair velocity fields, as well as monthly and annually averaged velocity mosaics at 200 m spatial resolution.
Marek Muchow, Amelie U. Schmitt, and Lars Kaleschke
The Cryosphere, 15, 4527–4537, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4527-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4527-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Linear-like openings in sea ice, also called leads, occur with widths from meters to kilometers. We use satellite images from Sentinel-2 with a resolution of 10 m to identify leads and measure their widths. With that we investigate the frequency of lead widths using two different statistical methods, since other studies have shown a dependency of heat exchange on the lead width. We are the first to address the sea-ice lead-width distribution in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica.
Thomas Krumpen, Luisa von Albedyll, Helge F. Goessling, Stefan Hendricks, Bennet Juhls, Gunnar Spreen, Sascha Willmes, H. Jakob Belter, Klaus Dethloff, Christian Haas, Lars Kaleschke, Christian Katlein, Xiangshan Tian-Kunze, Robert Ricker, Philip Rostosky, Janna Rückert, Suman Singha, and Julia Sokolova
The Cryosphere, 15, 3897–3920, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3897-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3897-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We use satellite data records collected along the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) drift to categorize ice conditions that shaped and characterized the floe and surroundings during the expedition. A comparison with previous years is made whenever possible. The aim of this analysis is to provide a basis and reference for subsequent research in the six main research areas of atmosphere, ocean, sea ice, biogeochemistry, remote sensing and ecology.
Lukas Müller, Martin Horwath, Mirko Scheinert, Christoph Mayer, Benjamin Ebermann, Dana Floricioiu, Lukas Krieger, Ralf Rosenau, and Saurabh Vijay
The Cryosphere, 15, 3355–3375, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3355-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3355-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Harald Moltke Bræ, a marine-terminating glacier in north-western Greenland, undergoes remarkable surges of episodic character. Our data show that a recent surge from 2013 to 2019 was initiated at the glacier front and exhibits a pronounced seasonality with flow velocities varying by 1 order of magnitude, which has not been observed at Harald Moltke Bræ in this way before. These findings are crucial for understanding surge mechanisms at Harald Moltke Bræ and other marine-terminating glaciers.
H. Jakob Belter, Thomas Krumpen, Luisa von Albedyll, Tatiana A. Alekseeva, Gerit Birnbaum, Sergei V. Frolov, Stefan Hendricks, Andreas Herber, Igor Polyakov, Ian Raphael, Robert Ricker, Sergei S. Serovetnikov, Melinda Webster, and Christian Haas
The Cryosphere, 15, 2575–2591, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2575-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2575-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Summer sea ice thickness observations based on electromagnetic induction measurements north of Fram Strait show a 20 % reduction in mean and modal ice thickness from 2001–2020. The observed variability is caused by changes in drift speeds and consequential variations in sea ice age and number of freezing-degree days. Increased ocean heat fluxes measured upstream in the source regions of Arctic ice seem to precondition ice thickness, which is potentially still measurable more than a year later.
Luisa von Albedyll
Polarforschung, 89, 115–117, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-89-115-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-89-115-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Submarines and satellites observed a halving of Arctic sea ice thickness in the last 60 years. Sea ice thinning alters the Arctic climate and ecosystem and the weather in our latitudes. Rising air and ocean temperatures and increased ice drift speeds cause the thinning. Thinner ice breaks up easier, and can pile up locally in thick ridges. Understanding the contribution of those processes to the ice thickness enables us to better predict the future of Arctic sea ice.
Rainer Lehmann
Polarforschung, 89, 73–76, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-89-73-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-89-73-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The polar regions are a hotspot of climate change and its effects. Polar Educators Germany is hence engaged to teaching polar research in schools throughout Germany. The network cooperates with the scientific community and is internationally involved. Since the founding of the working group in 2008, numerous new teaching materials on polar topics have been produced. Educators are able to train on polar expeditions, among other activities, and pass on their experiences to colleagues and students.
Mirko Scheinert, Christoph Mayer, Martin Horwath, Matthias Braun, Anja Wendt, and Daniel Steinhage
Polarforschung, 89, 57–64, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-89-57-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-89-57-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Ice sheets, glaciers and further ice-covered areas with their changes as well as interactions with the solid Earth and the ocean are subject of intensive research, especially against the backdrop of global climate change. The resulting questions are of concern to scientists from various disciplines such as geodesy, glaciology, physical geography and geophysics. Thus, the working group "Polar Geodesy and Glaciology", founded in 2013, offers a forum for discussion and stimulating exchange.
Donovan Dennis, Josefine Lenz, and Johanna Grabow
Polarforschung, 89, 77–78, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-89-77-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-89-77-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The German National Committee (APECS Germany) of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) is a network of polar researchers organising activities at the national level in Germany. In our inaugural dedicated pages in Polarforschung, we interview two former APECS Germany chairs to discuss their careers in polar research, their involvement with APECS, and their perspectives on the future of their fields.
Rainer Lehmann and Friederike Krüger
Polarforschung, 89, 89–91, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-89-89-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-89-89-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Science communication is an important tool to implement current research into schools. One way of directly involving educators is the attendance in polar expeditions. Four educators were able to participate in the MOSAiC expedition in 2019 (Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate). Important results include the publication of teaching materials for schools. Here an example of the earth's grid of parallels and meridians is shown, which can be used directly in class.
Luisa von Albedyll, Christian Haas, and Wolfgang Dierking
The Cryosphere, 15, 2167–2186, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2167-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2167-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Convergent sea ice motion produces a thick ice cover through ridging. We studied sea ice deformation derived from high-resolution satellite imagery and related it to the corresponding thickness change. We found that deformation explains the observed dynamic thickness change. We show that deformation can be used to model realistic ice thickness distributions. Our results revealed new relationships between thickness redistribution and deformation that could improve sea ice models.
Philippe Massicotte, Rainer M. W. Amon, David Antoine, Philippe Archambault, Sergio Balzano, Simon Bélanger, Ronald Benner, Dominique Boeuf, Annick Bricaud, Flavienne Bruyant, Gwenaëlle Chaillou, Malik Chami, Bruno Charrière, Jing Chen, Hervé Claustre, Pierre Coupel, Nicole Delsaut, David Doxaran, Jens Ehn, Cédric Fichot, Marie-Hélène Forget, Pingqing Fu, Jonathan Gagnon, Nicole Garcia, Beat Gasser, Jean-François Ghiglione, Gaby Gorsky, Michel Gosselin, Priscillia Gourvil, Yves Gratton, Pascal Guillot, Hermann J. Heipieper, Serge Heussner, Stanford B. Hooker, Yannick Huot, Christian Jeanthon, Wade Jeffrey, Fabien Joux, Kimitaka Kawamura, Bruno Lansard, Edouard Leymarie, Heike Link, Connie Lovejoy, Claudie Marec, Dominique Marie, Johannie Martin, Jacobo Martín, Guillaume Massé, Atsushi Matsuoka, Vanessa McKague, Alexandre Mignot, William L. Miller, Juan-Carlos Miquel, Alfonso Mucci, Kaori Ono, Eva Ortega-Retuerta, Christos Panagiotopoulos, Tim Papakyriakou, Marc Picheral, Louis Prieur, Patrick Raimbault, Joséphine Ras, Rick A. Reynolds, André Rochon, Jean-François Rontani, Catherine Schmechtig, Sabine Schmidt, Richard Sempéré, Yuan Shen, Guisheng Song, Dariusz Stramski, Eri Tachibana, Alexandre Thirouard, Imma Tolosa, Jean-Éric Tremblay, Mickael Vaïtilingom, Daniel Vaulot, Frédéric Vaultier, John K. Volkman, Huixiang Xie, Guangming Zheng, and Marcel Babin
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 1561–1592, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-1561-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-1561-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The MALINA oceanographic expedition was conducted in the Mackenzie River and the Beaufort Sea systems. The sampling was performed across seven shelf–basin transects to capture the meridional gradient between the estuary and the open ocean. The main goal of this research program was to better understand how processes such as primary production are influencing the fate of organic matter originating from the surrounding terrestrial landscape during its transition toward the Arctic Ocean.
Autun Purser, Simon Dreutter, Huw Griffiths, Laura Hehemann, Kerstin Jerosch, Axel Nordhausen, Dieter Piepenburg, Claudio Richter, Henning Schröder, and Boris Dorschel
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 609–615, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-609-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-609-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This dataset comprises 26-megapixel seafloor images collected from below ice and steeply sloped regions of the Southern Ocean (the western Weddell Sea; the Powell Basin; and the rapidly shallowing, iceberg-scoured Nachtigaller Shoal). These data were collected with the Ocean Floor Observation and Bathymetry System (OFOBS), an advanced towed camera platform incorporating various sonar devices to aid in hazard avoidance and seafloor mapping, for use in challenging, high-relief seafloor areas.
Cited articles
APECS Executive Committee: APECS Handbook, https://apecs.is/images/Articles/Files/APECS_Handbook_Sept_2021.pdf (last access: 18 October 2023), 2021. a
Bainbridge, B.: The Birthday Boys, Abacus, London, ISBN-13 978-0349121567, 2009. a
Blackadder, J.: Chasing the Light: A Novel of Antarctica, Forth Estate, Sydney, ISBN-13 978-0732296049, 2013. a
Brandt, S., Wassmann, P., and Piepenburg, D.: Revisiting the footprints of climate change in Arctic marine food webs: An assessment of knowledge gained since 2010, Front. Mar. Sci., 10, 1–17, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1096222, 2023. a
Cook, A. J. and Vaughan, D. G.: Overview of areal changes of the ice shelves on the Antarctic Peninsula over the past 50 years, The Cryosphere, 4, 77–98, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-4-77-2010, 2010. a
Kallfelz, M.: Arctic Day – Ein Event für die ganze Schulgemeinschaft gestalten, Biologie im naturwissenschaftlichen Unterricht 5–10, 34, 32–35, 2021. a
Krause, R.: Die Gründungsphase deutscher Polarforschung, 1865–1875 The period of founding of the German polar research, 1865–1875, Berichte zur Polarforschung (Reports on Polar Research), 114, 0–450, https://doi.org/10.2312/BzP_0114_1992, 1992. a
Kruse, F.: Is Svalbard a pristine ecosystem? Reconstructing 420 years of human presence in an Arctic archipelago, Polar Rec., 52, 518–534, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0032247416000309, 2016. a
Kruse, F.: Catching up: the state and potential of historical catch data from Svalbard in the European Arctic, Polar Rec., 53, 520–533, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0032247417000481, 2017. a
Krüger, F.: Als Lehrerin auf Expedition in die Arktis: ein Tag auf dem Eis, Biologie im naturwissenschaftlichen Unterricht 5–10, 33, 36–39, 2021. a
Lehmann, R. and Kallfelz, M.: Die Polarlehrer – Coole Klassen an den Polen der Erde, Biologie in unserer Zeit, 49, 277–281, https://doi.org/10.1002/biuz.201910682, 2019. a
Lehmann, R. and Rudolph, E.: Polar Educators Germany, ECO Magazine Polar Special Issue, 124–125, http://digital.ecomagazine.com/publication/?i=674747&ver=html5&p=124 (last access: 18 October 2023), 2020. a
Lippl, S., Friedl, P., Kittel, C., Marinsek, S., Seehaus, T. C., and Braun, M. H.: Spatial and Temporal Variability of Glacier Surface Velocities and Outlet Areas on James Ross Island, Northern Antarctic Peninsula, Geosciences, 9, 9, https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9090374, 2019. a
Ludwig, V., Spreen, G., Haas, C., Istomina, L., Kauker, F., and Murashkin, D.: The 2018 North Greenland polynya observed by a newly introduced merged optical and passive microwave sea-ice concentration dataset, The Cryosphere, 13, 2051–2073, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2051-2019, 2019. a
Manhire, B.: The Wide White Page: Writers Imagine Antarctica, Victoria University Press, Wellington, ISBN 978-0864734853, 2004. a
Meier, W., Petty, A., Hendricks, S., Perovich, D., Farrell, S., Webster, M., Divine, D., Gerland, S., Kaleschke, L., Ricker, R., and Tian-Kunze, X.: Arctic Report Card 2022: Sea Ice, NOAA technical report, https://doi.org/10.25923/xyp2-vz45, 2022. a
Murphy, D. T.: German exploration of the Polar World: A history, 1870–1940, U of Nebraska Press, ISBN 978-0803232051, 2002. a
Pavlov, P., Svendsen, J., and Indrelid, S.: Human presence in the European Arctic nearly 40,000 years ago, Nature, 413, 64–67, https://doi.org/10.1038/35092552, 2001. a
Pearson, M., Zarankin, A., and Salerno, M. A.: Chapter 14 - Exploring and exploiting Antarctica: The early human interactions, in: Past Antarctica, edited by: Oliva, M. and Ruiz-Fernández, J., 259–278, Academic Press, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-817925-3.00014-8, 2020. a
Pitulko, V. V., Tikhonov, A. N., Pavlova, E. Y., Nikolskiy, P. A., Kuper, K. E., and Polozov, R. N.: Early human presence in the Arctic: Evidence from 45,000-year-old mammoth remains, Science, 351, 260–263, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aad0554, 2016. a
Pound, K., Huffman, L., Hubbard, J., Cattadori, M., Dahlman, L., Dooley, J., Frisch-Gleason, R., Lehmann, R., and Trummel, B.: ANDRILL ARISE: A model for team-based field research immersion for educators, Polar Rec., 55, 251–273, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0032247419000056, 2019. a
Preußer, A., Ohshima, K. I., Iwamoto, K., Willmes, S., and Heinemann, G.: Retrieval of Wintertime Sea Ice Production in Arctic Polynyas Using Thermal Infrared and Passive Microwave Remote Sensing Data, J. Geophys. Res.-Oceans, 124, 5503–5528, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JC014976, 2019. a
Rex, M. and Shupe, M.: The Expedition PS122/4 of the Research Vessel POLARSTERN to the Arctic Ocean in 2020, edted by: Bornemann, H. and Amir Sawadkuhi, S., Berichte zur Polar- und Meeresforschung, Reports on polar and marine research, Bremerhaven, Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, 2023. a
Ricker, R., Kauker, F., Schweiger, A., Hendricks, S., Zhang, J., and Paul, S.: Evidence for an Increasing Role of Ocean Heat in Arctic Winter Sea Ice Growth, J. Climate, 34, 5215–5227, https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-20-0848.1, 2021. a
Ryan, R.: Death of the Ice, Headline Review, London, ISBN 978-0755348350, 2009. a
Seehaus, T., Marinsek, S., Helm, V., Skvarca, P., and Braun, M.: Changes in ice dynamics, elevation and mass discharge of Dinsmoor–Bombardier–Edgeworth glacier system, Antarctic Peninsula, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 427, 125–135, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2015.06.047, 2015. a
Seehaus, T. C., Marinsek, S., Skvarca, P., van Wessem, J. M., Reijmer, C. H., Seco, J. L., and Braun, M. H.: Dynamic Response of Sjögren Inlet Glaciers, Antarctic Peninsula, to Ice Shelf Breakup Derived from Multi-Mission Remote Sensing Time Series, Front. Earth Sci., 4, 66, https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2016.00066, 2016. a
Sikora, M., Pitulko, V. V., Sousa, V. C., Allentoft, M. E., Vinner, L., Rasmussen, S., Margaryan, A., de Barros Damgaard, P., de la Fuente, C., Renaud, G., et al.: The population history of northeastern Siberia since the Pleistocene, Nature, 570, 182–188, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1279-z, 2019. a
The IMBIE Team: Mass balance of the Antarctic Ice Sheet from 1992 to 2017, Nature, 558, 219–222, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0179-y, 2018. a, b
von Albedyll, L., Haas, C., and Dierking, W.: Linking sea ice deformation to ice thickness redistribution using high-resolution satellite and airborne observations, The Cryosphere, 15, 2167–2186, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2167-2021, 2021. a
von Albedyll, L., Hendricks, S., Grodofzig, R., Krumpen, T., Arndt, S., Belter, H. J., Birnbaum, G., Cheng, B., Hoppmann, M., Hutchings, J., Itkin, P., Lei, R., Nicolaus, M., Ricker, R., Rohde, J., Suhrhoff, M., Timofeeva, A., Watkins, D., Webster, M., and Haas, C.: Thermodynamic and dynamic contributions to seasonal Arctic sea ice thickness distributions from airborne observations, Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene, 10, 00074, https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2021.00074, 2022. a
Short summary
Polar research is an interdisciplinary and multi-faceted field of research. Its diversity ranges from history to geology and geophysics to social sciences and education. This article provides insights into the different areas of German polar research. This was made possible by a seminar series, POLARSTUNDE, established in the summer of 2020 and organized by the German Society of Polar Research and the German National Committee of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS Germany).
Polar research is an interdisciplinary and multi-faceted field of research. Its diversity ranges...
