Final Conference of the SVALI project
Nordic Center of Excellence
The Final Conference of the Nordic Center of Excellence SVALI project is taking place at the Ilulissat Climate Days, which comprise workshops and conferences relating to changes of the Greenland Cryosphere, while the SVALI Conference, June 4-5, concentrates on two main topics:
- Changes of the Arctic and North-Atlantic land ice
- Glacier and ice cap changes, process understanding, and impacts on sea level
In the web-magazine Science Nordic there is an interview "Climate change in a vulnerable area" with Tómas Jóhannesson, who leads IMO's research group on glacier studies including the SVALI project.
Ongoing observations confirm the accelerating changes of the Greenland and Arctic cryosphere – the ice sheet, sea ice and permafrost. The changes of the Greenland ice sheet include a more than doubling of ice melt, more icebergs due to rapidly speeding outlet glaciers, and a thinning sea ice cover with shorter ice seasons and diminishing ice concentration.
Cryosphere changes in Greenland and the Arctic are spectacular manifestations of global climate change. Recent events, such as the summer 2012 record melt, which for the first time saw melt across the entire ice sheet, have focussed even more attention on the Greenland changes, and the potential impact on global sea level.
The Ilulissat Climate Days especially address recent, ongoing and future changes in the ice in and around Greenland, with a special focus on the effects for the Greenland society. These effects have significant impact on traditional hunting and fisheries, but also new opportunities for hydrocarbon exploration, mining and hydropower.
The Ilulissat Climate Days is a follow up from the similar workshop during the Nuuk Climate Days 2009, which attracted more than 150 scientists, stakeholders and policy makers.
based on text from Polar DTU
Center for Polar Activities
Technical University of Denmark
