Alpine environments in cold regions are undergoing rapid transformations due to shifting climates, raising concerns about the future of ecosystems and downstream water supplies. Traditionally, hydrological studies have focused on visible cryospheric elements, often overlooking buried features like permafrost, ice-cored moraines, and rock glaciers, as well as the significance of groundwater in alpine valleys. Recent investigations, however, highlight the pivotal role of groundwater in shaping local watershed dynamics and regional water resources in these cold regions.

Understanding hydrogeology in cold region alpine environments presents challenges due to remote and inaccessible study sites and harsh winter conditions. Recent studies suggest that the winter hydrogeological dynamics of proglacial areas are captured within proglacial aufeis, ice formations persisting during winter despite extended sub-zero temperatures.

This study focuses on aufeis formation within a tributary of the Duke Valley, a glacierized catchment in the green belt of Mount St-Elias on the Kluane First Nation territory in Yukon. Employing a field-based approach at the Shar Shäw Tágà study site and remote sensing analysis using satellite imagery, our research aims to delineate key aufeis growth stages and identify contributing water sources.

The field study, conducted from 2018 to 2023, utilizes time-lapse imagery, hydrochemical tracers, and meteorological records to reveal aufeis growth variability. Observations in Shar Shäw Tágà show aufeis forming consistently across most years, spanning from the canyon exit to the meander of the Grizzly Creek River. However, results indicate a three-year absence of aufeis formation and variability in formation dates when present. Notably, aufeis growth deceleration or cessation in March, despite sustained sub-zero temperatures, suggests groundwater's role.

Remote sensing analysis dating back to 1974 indicates a declining trend in aufeis occurrences. Statistical analysis on relative frequencies suggests a potential link between non-formation and meteorological conditions from the preceding summer, supporting the hypothesis that aufeis occurrence is influenced by factors impacting groundwater behavior.

The correlation between aufeis formation and longer-term factors implies aufeis as a valuable indicator of groundwater evolution in alpine cold regions, sensitive to processes beyond immediate seasonal variations. These findings contribute to our understanding of broader changes in groundwater behavior over extended periods in these dynamic environments.

How to cite: Baraer, M., Charonnat, B., Valence, E., McKenzie, J., and Masse-Dufresne, J.: What Proglacial Aufeis Formations Tell Us about the Evolution of Hydrological Processes in a Glacier Decline Context, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-6496, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-6496, 2024.

Glacier mice are ovoid-shaped conglomerations of bryophytes and mineral particles that are rarely found on glacier surfaces. They form colonies, host diverse organism communities and possess the ability to roll around on the glacier surface. Their movement on the glacier appears non-random, assuming a herd-like behaviour. This study is the first survey of the occurrence of radionuclides (¹³⁷Cs, ²¹⁰Pb, ^238,239,240Pu) and heavy metals (Pb, As, Hg, Cd) in glacier mice, cryoconite debris, and proglacial bryophytes at Austerdalsbreen, an outlet glacier from Jostedalsbreen ice cap, western Norway. Ongoing research on cryoconite shows that glacier surfaces host dynamic ecosystems capable of capturing and processing airborne contaminants. However, nothing is known about the role of glacier mice in the cycling of contaminants, particularly in relation to cryoconite.

The following objectives are pursued in this study:

• Determining and comparing radionuclide and heavy metal concentrations across glacier ecosystems in bryophytes (glacier surface vs. terminal moraine vs. proglacial forefield) and cryoconite.
• Identifying nuclear contamination sources in the investigated samples using the mass and activity ratios (²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu and ^239+240Pu/¹³⁷Cs).

The analysis of radionuclides was performed by alpha and gamma spectrometry, while mass ratio and heavy metals quantification using ICP MS. We found that glacier mice are characterized by activity concentrations of radionuclides several times lower than those in cryoconite. There is no clear statistically significant difference between the activity of studied isotopes and bryophytes on a spatial scale. When concentrations of radionuclides in cryoconite from Austerdalsbreen are compared with data from other Scandinavian glaciers, plutonium and cesium signatures in the Austerdalsbreen samples show compatible levels for global fallout and Chernobyl accident, respectively. Regarding heavy metals, the highest concentrations were found in bryophytes from the glacier surface compared to samples from the forefield. Levels of Hg and Pb are elevated in bryophytes especially from the glacier surface (0.7 ppm and 30 ppm, respectively), whereas Cd and As (0.06 ppm and 0.49 ppm, respectively) are relatively similar to values reported for mosses in Norway. The concentrations of Hg and Pb in bryophytes from the glacier surface are similar to values found in cryoconite from Austerdalsbreen and Blåisen, an outlet glacier from Hardangerjøkulen ice cap located 120 km south of Austerdalsbreen.

The results show that concentrations of radionuclides and heavy metals are mainly influenced by atmospheric deposition from long-range transport, although potential local sources must also be considered. Increased concentrations of some heavy metals in bryophytes from glacier surfaces may suggest that the rolling of bryophytes (glacier mice) on glacier surfaces may absorb heavy metals from cryoconite. Additionally, glacier mice rolling from the melting glacier may serve as a secondary source of inorganic pollutants to newly developed proglacial ecosystems.

How to cite: Kołtonik, K., Zawierucha, K., Wojciechowski, K., Mróz, T., Niedzielski, P., Souza-Kasprzyk, J., Wierzgoń, M., Olabode, K., Cwanek, A., Sala, D., Yde, J. C., Wachniew, P., and Łokas, E.: Radionuclides and heavy metal concentrations in glacier mice on Austerdalsbreen, an outlet glacier from Jostedalsbreen ice cap, Norway, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-7565, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-7565, 2024.

Sockeye salmon are an important species both ecologically as well as culturally. At some point in the recent geological past, as substantiated by Indigenous oral history and ecological data, sockeye would migrate up Alsek River through the St Elias Mountains into southwest Yukon. But they no longer do so, and river-blocking surges of Nàłùdäy (Lowell Glacier), which translates to ‘Fish Stop’, have been blamed. During multiple surges over the past few thousand years, Nàłùdäy impounded massive glacial lakes, which drained catastrophically and transported vast quantities of gravel and boulders downstream. Although Nàłùdäy has not blocked Alsek River since the late 1800s, sockeye have yet to recolonize this stretch of the river. In this study, we suggest a recent advance of Tweedsmuir Glacier, about 65 km downstream of Nàłùdäy, caused Alsek River to carve the narrow Turnback Canyon into bedrock. This canyon, which stretches for ~10 km along the glacier’s terminus and in places is only a few metres wide, produces a functionally insurmountable velocity barrier to upstream fish migration. The ultimate goal of the study is to determine whether Alsek River was rerouted in the recent geological past, cutting off the sockeye salmon migration. Our specific objectives are to (1) determine whether an ancestral paleochannel of Alsek River exists beneath Tweedsmuir Glacier; (2) establish the chronology of canyon incision and determine whether it was related to rapid drainage of ice-dammed lakes at Nàłùdäy; and (3) evaluate whether the subglacial topography may be conducive to Alsek River abandoning Turnback Canyon as the glacier retreats, creating a gentler stretch of river allowing fish to reach upstream habitat.

Between 2019 and 2022, we collected more than 450 line-km of airborne and ground-based ice-penetrating radar data over the lower glacier to map the subglacial topography with the intent of determining whether a paleochannel might exist up which sockeye may have traveled prior to Neoglacial advances. Results suggest that the terminal lobe of Tweedsmuir Glacier is up to ~500 m thick and in some places the bed is up to ~100 m below sea level. Based on preliminary analyses of the radar data, it is conceivable that Alsek River could abandon Turnback Canyon for the lower elevation terrain, as the glacier retreats in the coming decades and centuries. Terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide dating of the canyon walls using ³⁶Cl suggests that the canyon was cut within the last thousand years, and very quickly, possibly in a single episode of downcutting.

How to cite: Shugar, D., Flowers, G., Cronmiller, D., Mingo, L., von Finster, A., and Sharp, M.: Tweedsmuir Glacier, Alsek River, and the salmon migration that wasn’t, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-20637, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-20637, 2024.

Mercury (Hg) is a chemical element recognized as one of the most toxic among all naturally occurring elements, with health risks depending on its form, concentration, route and time of exposure. Mercury appears in the environment as a result of human activities, which include burning coal or lignite, improper waste disposal, oil refining, use of mercury-containing pesticides and fertilizers, and industrial development such as mining, chemical, pharmaceutical and paper industries. The element also appears in the environment as a consequence of natural phenomena, among which are volcanic emissions, rock erosion, biomass burning and geothermal processes, but also as a result of re-emissions. Mercury can persist in the atmosphere for up to several months, which promotes the transfer of the element to areas far from the emitting source.

Cryoconite, a sediment accumulating on the surface of glaciers, is known to accumulate atmospheric contaminants such as Hg likely due to biofilm producing extracellular polymeric substances. Mercury is a contaminant of primary concern in the global environment, including cryosphere environments such as glaciers, due to its high toxicity to biota. This study, for the first time, presents a comprehensive global analysis of the variation in Hg concentrations, observed in cryoconite holes and deposits from the surface of 27 glaciers in both hemispheres, comprising 105 samples in total. Concentrations of Hg were determined through ICP-MS/MS.  

The results indicate a higher Hg content in cryoconite from glaciers located in the Northern Hemisphere, which can be linked to the proximity of highly industrialized areas, which contrasts to glaciers located in the Southern Hemisphere. The highest Hg content was measured in cryoconite located in Norway and Alaska (up to 0.7 ppm), and the Alps (close to 0.5 ppm), correlated with the levels of industrialization in these regions. Our results reveal a broad pattern of reduction in Hg concentrations in cryoconite with altitude, which may be related to the topographical relief affecting the transport of contaminants from higher altitudes to lower.

As a result of global warming, the majority of glaciers are retreating. The accumulated Hg in the cryoconite can be released during melting of glaciers and thus may also contribute to contamination of the downstream ecosystems and local communities through consumption of contaminated food and water in polar and alpine regions. Therefore, studies like this are needed to monitor the levels and fate of Hg in glaciers and ice caps.

How to cite: Pasieka, A., Brudecki, K., Niedzielski, P., Proch, A., Takeuchi, N., Ambrosini, R., Owens, P., Zawierucha, K., Baccolo, G., Clason, C., Beard, D., Yde, J. C., and Łokas, E.: Worldwide Accumulation of Atmospheric Mercury in Glacier Cryoconite, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-8179, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-8179, 2024.

Coastal environments around Greenland are rapidly changing under the influence of a warming climate. Glaciers are melting and glacial meltwater discharge is affecting ocean environments, resulting in a wide range of impacts on marine ecosystems. Steep terrains along the coast are destabilized by thawing permafrost and more frequent heavy rain events. These changes in natural environments are serious concerns of Greenlandic societies. An increasing amount of glacial melt causes flooding of streams. Settlements at the foot of steep slopes are threatened by landslide hazards. Accordingly, an increasing number of damages to buildings and infrastructures are reported. To investigate changing coastal environments and their impact on society in Greenland, we have been running a research project in Qaanaaq, a small village in northwestern Greenland, under the framework of Japanese Arctic research projects GRENE (Green Network of Excellence), ArCS (Arctic Challenge for Sustainability) and ArCS II. In this presentation, we introduce the overview of our multidisciplinary research activities performed in the Qaanaaq region since 2012.

On Qaanaaq Ice Cap, annual mass balance and ice speed have been measured since 2012 to investigate glacier changes and processes driving rapid ice loss. Discharge of a glacial stream is measured to study the mechanism of foods, which frequently destroy a road connecting the village with Oaanaaq Airport. In a nearby smaller settlement Siorapaluk, a slope affected by a landslide was surveyed to study the triggering mechanism of the failure. During the late summer season, research activities were performed in the largest glacial fjord in the region, Inglefield Bredening. Using boats operated by local collaborators, seawater properties are measured, moorings are installed for year-round measurements, and habitats of fish, seabirds and marine mammals are surveyed. Biologger tagging is performed in collaboration with hunters as well as a researcher from the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources in Nuuk. Recently, a dump site in the village was surveyed by waste management engineers to investigate possible soil and water pollution. Measurements were also carried out in houses to evaluate the performance of the buildings for energy efficiency and a healthy living environment.

Project activities and study results are reported to the community in a workshop organized in Qaanaaq since 2016. About 50 people attend presentations by researchers. The focus of discussion after the presentations is health and safety. Questions are raised about possible pollution around the dump site and concentrations of toxic substances in animals. The involvement of local society in scientific research is a matter of importance in the Arctic. To contribute sustainable future of Arctic societies, we continue collaboration, conversation and designing research together with the local community.

How to cite: Sugiyama, S. and the ArCS II Coastal Environments Project: Changes in coastal environments and their impact on society in northwestern Greenland, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-3302, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-3302, 2024.

Glacier retreat changes hydropower production, both by changing melt patterns and seasonality and by revealing new possible reservoirs. This holds potential for expanding the production of hydroelectric power. However, these glaciers are typically situated in valuable nature and protected areas, making the construction of new infrastructure difficult. Mitigating climate change by producing renewable energy therefore comes in conflict with protecting nature.

In this study, we present survey results from the Norwegian Panel of Elected Representatives to investigate how democratically elected politicians approach such trade-offs, the conflict between protecting global climate or local nature. Which arguments drive support or opposition to building a hypothetical hydropower dam? How do they relate to the politicians' personal and political background? Interestingly, we find that politicians that are more concerned about climate change also are more opposed to building new hydropower infrastructure.

In addition, we assess how the physical potential of hydropower will change in Norway under climate change. As a case study, we simulate the surface mass balance of Folgefonna ice cap to the end of the century under a range of climate scenarios. This enables us to quantify how uncertain such future projections are and to what degree we can provide policy makers with reliable information on hydropower potential. Thus, by a multidisciplinary approach, we assess both the physical and political potential for new hydropower due to glacier melt.

How to cite: Frøystad, R., Born, A., and Peters, Y.: Political and physical limits to using formerly glaciated regions for hydropower production, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-17538, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-17538, 2024.

In Canada’s North, winter roads serve as vital lifelines for remote First Nations communities, connecting them to essential resources and services. Constructed over seasonally frozen lakes, rivers, and land, these temporary roads are the only means to transport food, fuel and building materials in large volumes. Winter temperature increases of > 3° C in several provinces have already led to shorter operating seasons and less lake ice thickness, compromising safety, supply, and well-being.

Limited meteorological data, a lack of economic or political relevance and the provincial jurisdiction over winter roads have so far discouraged broader research. The few localised studies leave a large knowledge gap with respect to the historical correlation of climate data with winter road seasons and the ability to predict their future. In addition, scientific studies rarely include the existing traditional environmental knowledge without which the adaptive capacity and resilience potential of Indigenous communities cannot be fully understood and realised.

Using GIS tools to create a map of all Canadian winter road systems, ERA5 data to analyse location-specific temperature trends, and observations of lake ice thickness to validate a one-dimensional lake model as proxy for freezing trends all aim to explore the natural science base. Surveys and extended interviews in a Manitoba First Nations community complement the study in a decolonising approach, following the concept of Two-Eyed Seeing.

Comprehensive mapping shows that most winter road tracks have recently been rerouted to avoid lake surfaces despite the difficult terrestrial underground. Temperature trends are highest in January and vary from +0.4° C in Ontario to +1° C per decade in the Northwest Territories, while modelled ice thickness has decreased between 9% and 14% from 1950 until 2022. Shorter winter road seasons have resulted in food insecurity, educational deprivation, and a housing crisis in many remote First Nations communities, worsened by the intergenerational trauma of residential schools and legislative hurdles to self-determination as defined by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

For Indigenous communities in Canada, cryosphere services are not limited to winter road infrastructure, they include traditional food harvesting, cultural connectivity and identity. Without a profound connection to the land, change observations remain inconsequential, adaptive measures and resilience unobtainable.

How to cite: Salles, A., Mullan, D., Spagnolo, M., and Catney, G.: Resilience and adaptation of First Nations communities in Canada to disappearing winter road infrastructure in a changing climate, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-965, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-965, 2024.

The cryosphere makes significant contributions to human well-being directly or indirectly and materially or spiritually, providing a wide array of benefits, i.e., cryosphere services. However, with the global warming, the diminishing cryosphere would profoundly impact, not only on climate systems, but also its functions and services to support our societies. Although there is a wealth of studies on cryospheric processes and mechanisms, the interaction between the cryosphere and other spheres, and the cryospheric disaster risk, the systematic research on cryosphere services is still in its early stage. There needs to be a more systematic theoretical framework and methodology to enable the valuation and management of cryosphere services. Here, we will systematically present our recent work about the development of theoretical framework and methodology system, as well as related case studies. we first present a classification system based on the current process-based understanding of their nature and sustainability. Then, three different methods (i.e., empirical-based, monetary-based, and emergy-based approaches) for evaluating cryosphere services, are systematically introduced, and illustrated by three case studies. Finally, to adapt to the changing cryosphere services and mitigate risks, we further propose the approach to enhance society’s resilience in the cryosphere. The theoretical framework and methodology system is conducive for conceptualizing, monitoring, assessing and managing cryosphere services, and can help enhance socio-ecological sustainability and human well-being over cryosphere-affected areas.

How to cite: Su, B., Xiao, C., and Chen, D.: A theoretical framework for evaluating cryosphere services, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-4300, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-4300, 2024.

The Arctic is experiencing rapid transformations driven by global warming and increased human activities. These changes have significant implications for the region's established boundaries and the risks tied to its transformation. Here, we investigate the complex dynamics and consequences of contemporary pressure on these boundaries through a socio-environmental perspective. By employing an interdisciplinary and multi-scalar approach, we examine the intricate interconnections between global, regional, and local changes within the Arctic. Our analysis revolves around three spheres: the boundaries historically used to define the Arctic and how recent changes in climate and political interest challenge our perception of the Arctic as a region; the complexity of bio-physical boundaries and jurisdictional disputes surrounding the Svalbard Archipelago; and the relationship between changing natural hazards and societal perception of risk in the town of Longyearbyen. Altogether, we underscore the interplay between policy-based science, science-based policy, and performative behavior in shaping borders and boundaries. In order to avoid crossing tipping points and irreversible limits of human adaptation, we argue for the adoption of a holistic approach that integrates diverse perspectives and scales to effectively manage resources, preserve the environment, mitigate risks, and uphold international relations within and beyond the Arctic. By considering ecological and social factors, our study emphasizes the need for integrated approaches to address time-sensitive challenges surpassing the resilience capacities of local communities and encompassing vast spatial scales extending beyond their usual spheres of influence.

How to cite: Lundén, A., DeRepentigny, P., Nanni, U., Popovaitė, V., Shen, Y., Basaran, I. K., Neubern, N. D., Mascorda-Cabre, L., Bennett, A., Vold Hansen, T., Holmes, F. A., Kavvatha, E., Meyer, A., Prakash, A., and Wołoszyn, A.: Reframing the Arctic: An interdisciplinary and multi-scalar perspective on the divergence of boundaries and risk change in the Anthropocene, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-15591, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-15591, 2024.