You need Adobe Flash player to view this content. Download now.
Member Tasks
IPY Field School Journal
| Contributed by Polaradmin |
2009 IPY Field School JournalMonday 15th JuneHi from 78°N! Some of us have been here for a couple of days now so we are updating you all on what we have been doing. During the long flight from Oslo we were lucky to have clear views of the sea ice and southern Spitzbergen. Amazing! In Svalbard, we are staying in the student accommodation in Nybyen about 3km from UNIS in old mining barracks. Unfortunately this means a 30 minute walk to UNIS, not a pleasant experience in gale force winds and sub-zero temperatures, although it gives an opportunity to get to know the 22 other people from 11 different countries! Whilst waiting for the field school to begin we took advantage of the good weather and went hiking up Longyearbreen (the local glacier) near our accommodation (with a rifle in case of polar bear encounters!). Part way up the glacier we went searching for fossils amongst the rocks where the ice had melted. The next day, after a short introduction to the field school, we climbed up the side of a mountain to visit a long-abandoned mine. Luckily, after a scary climb up ice covered steps and a walk along an unstable, decrepit wooden walkway, we were rewarded with fantastic views over the valley and Longyearbyen. The first day of the field school involved participating in a safety course. The safety courses in Svalbard, however, are particularly unusual. Due to the threat of polar bears we were all trained to use rifles, shooting 16 rounds to make sure we could deal with an attack. Later we returned to UNIS and were fitted with bright orange emersion (survival) suits. We then went to a small boat harbor and jumped into the freezing cold Barents Sea and then attempted to get back onto the dock. It’s not as easy as it looks! Later, whilst relaxing in the barracks we noticed that it was beginning to snow (in mid-June, not as unusual as it seems we later found out), the wind soon picked up considerably causing the buildings to shake violently. It was our first arctic storm! What an introduction to the high arctic! Laura Weston and Graham Simpkins
Tuesday 16th June After a rough night with beds shaking from the wind, the IPY field course students worked their way through the gusts of winds to the UNIS building. There, the first two lectures were given by Ole Humlum, a professor of physical geography at the University of Oslo. He has lived in Longyearbyen and still teaches here part time. He lectured about Arctic Climate Change in the Present and Past. He used some interesting historical examples, like the Spanish Armada fleet being surprised by extremely bad weather and the coasts of England and Ireland being covered with broken Spanish ships, which happened during the Little Ice Age. Also during the Little Ice Age the Arctic cod was not present in Northern waters near Norway, and the Swedish army was able to reach Copenhagen on sea ice, which left the Danish fleet useless. But of course we also discussed many physical aspects of Arctic climate change. Then after a nice lunch in the UNIS canteen it was Elizabeth Thomas’ turn to lecture us. She is with the British Arctic Survey and has been to Antarctica for field work. She explained how various data from ice cores can be used to study climate of up to 740,000 years ago, and what the outcomes of ice core research are. She also showed pictures of ice core drilling projects. The last lecture of the day was again by Ole Humlum, who explained the meteorology of Svalbard. He told us that today’s windy weather is not very common for this time of the year. Usually November to January are stormiest. Although most of Svalbard is white, actually there is very little snowfall. After a day of interesting lectures and a small discussion we are heading of for a nice dinner at Huset. On the way we passed some reindeer. At Huset we had really good salmon with sauce, potatoes and vegetables and a good hazelnut chocolate cake with red fruit as dessert. In the evening there were some groups watching movies, while other explored the ‘Wii’. Rogier Floors and Joyce Bosmans
Dutch version:Na een wilde nacht met schuddende bedden (door de wind…) liepen we tegen harde windvlagen in richting UNIS. Daar werden de eerste twee colleges gegeven door Ole Humlum, professor fysische geographie van de Universiteit van Oslo. Hij heeft zelf enkele jaren in Longyearbyen gewoond en geeft hier nog steeds parttime les. Hij vertelde over klimaatverandering in Arctische gebieden in het verleden en heden. Daarbij maakte hij gebruik van enkele voorbeelden van hoe uit historische gebeurtenissen het klimaat kan worden afgeleid. Zo wou de Spaanse Armada Engeland veroveren, maar ze werden overvallen door slecht weer en hun schepen waren gestrand over de hele Engelse en Ierse kust. Dit gebeurde tijdens de Kleine IJstijd, een tijd tijdens de 17e eeuw die gekenmerkt werd door relatief lage temperaturen en daarmee ook meer stormen. Tijdens dit tijdperk liepen de visstanden in noordelijke zeeën terug, en kon het Zweedse leger over de bevroren zee Kopenhagen aanvallen, terwijl de Denen niets aan hun grote vloot hadden. Buiten deze mooie verhalen hebben we natuurlijk ook de fysische aspecten van het Arctische klimaat behandeld. Na lunch te hebben verorberd in de UNIS kantine, was het de beurt aan Elizabeth Thomas. Zij werkt voor de British Antarctic Survey en is zelf voor veldwerk naar Antarctica geweest. Ze vertelde over het boren van ijskernen en hoe verschillende data uit ijsboringen gebruikt kunnen worden om het klimaat van tot en met 740.000 jaar geleden te reconstrueren. Naast deze uitleg liet ze ook foto’s zien van ijsboringen, die blijkbaar nogal wat moeite en geld kosten. Het laatste college van de dag werd gegeven door Ole Humlum, die dit keer over de meteorologie van Svalbard praatte. Hij legde uit dat de harde wind die we vanochtend hadden eigenlijk vrij abnormaal is voor deze tijd van het jaar; normaal zijn het de maanden november tot januari die het winderigst zijn. Ook vertelde hij dat hoewel Svalbard heel wit is, er vrij weinig sneeuw valt; het is een ‘arctische woestijn’. Na alle interessante colleges en een discussie daarna gingen we naar Huset voor het diner. Onderweg liepen twee rendieren voorbij. Als avondeten kregen we heerlijke zalm met een sausje, aardappelen en groenten, met een hazelnoot-chocolade cake met rode vruchten toe. De laatste activiteiten van de dag waren film kijken of spelen met de ‘Wii’! Wednesday 17th June The third day of the IPY field school kicked off with another brisk stroll down to UNIS. Weather conditions were much clearer and warmer; the sun even popped its head out every now and again to see how the IPY students were getting along. The first lecture of the day was given by Prof. Hanne Christiansen, giving a thorough background on the Geology of Svalbard. Following Prof. Hanne Christiansen was a series of lectures given by PhD student Monica Sund covering glaciology and in particular the amazing glaciers covering the Svalbard landscape. It is very interesting to learn of the vast historical record that the geology of the region contains and the picturesque landscape made the task even better. Following the lectures and a brief lunch, the students met up at Nybyen for the geomorphology excursion. Two post-graduate UNIS students gave a good introduction into periglacial landforms before guiding us to a recent snow avalanche slope. The IPY students were split up into two groups having to perform some geomorphology fieldwork on the avalanche slope. Students had to choose 4m2 or 16m2 squares on the snow covered avalanche slope and weigh the rocks that had been brought in by the avalanche. This was done to get an idea as to the amount of rock being moved by an avalanche in a high arctic environment. The IPY students completed this task with the utmost enthusiasm, overcoming whatever the terrain could throw at them. This included everything from a tiny avalanche scare to the occasional brief but fierce snow fight. A wonderful meal at Huset ended off another mentally and physically stimulating day spent in the arctic. The IPY field school students had earned their sleep, after a short after dinner walk to the nearby rock glacier of course. Matthias Siewert and Dales Wilson
German version:Der dritte Tag der IPY field school begann wieder mit einem munteren Marsch zu UNIS. Nach dem etwas grauen gestrigen Tag, zeigte sich die Sonne heute von Zeit zu Zeit. Prof. Hanne Christiansen hielt die erste Vorlesung des Tages über die Geologie von Spitzbergen. Diese ist besonders interessant, da auf relativ kleiner Fläche fast alle Erdzeitalter vertreten sind. Nach dieser Vorlesung erhielten wir von Monica Sund, PhD Studentin, eine Einführung in Glaziologie mit Fokus auf die besonderen Gegebenheiten von Spitzbergen. Neueste Erkenntnisse wurden vermittelt und nicht zuletzt sind gerade die Fotos dieser Insel immer wieder ein Highlight jeder Präsentation. Am Nachmittag hatten wir, von Nybyen ausgehend, eine Geomorphologie Exkursion. Monica Sund erklärte im Gelände den Longyearbreen-Gletscher. Danach übernahmen zwei Post-Graduate Studenten der UNIS das Programm. Sie gaben eine kurze Einführung in periglaziale Landschaftsformen. Von unseren Wohnheimen aus kann man einen Blockgletscher sowie Pingos sehen. Anschließend stellten sie ihr Lawinenprojekt vor. Im Longyeardalen gibt es sehr viele Lawinen, jedoch sind sie wenig erforscht. Daher durften wir als IPY Studenten helfen dies zu ändern. Für diese geomorphologische Geländearbeit wurden wir in zwei Gruppen aufgeteilt. Entlang eines mit Lawinen bedeckten Hangs, quantifizierten wir den Anteil an Geröll in den Lawinen auf 4-16 m² große Parzellen. Dadurch kann abgeschätzt werden welche Rolle Lawinen als geomorphologischer Agent spielen, d.h. wie viel Geröll durch sie in das Tal befördert wird. Die Aufgabe wurde mit viel Enthusiasmus gelöst. Weder eine Mini-Lawine, noch kleine Schneeballschlachten konnten den Erfolg behindern. Das verdiente Abendessen in Huset war wie immer ausgezeichnet. Die IPY field school Studenten haben auch heute einen sehr interessanten und anregenden Tag erlebt, der durch eine kleine Wanderung inklusive Fossilen jagt abgerundet wurde. Thursday 18th June We woke up to a beautiful, sunny and warm day. The day started with a lecture about Permafrost with Hanne H. Christiansen. As 60% of Svalbard is covered by glaciers and the rest is periglacial environments, permafrost and the forms developed there is an important part of the science of Svalbard. The next lecture was about avalanches on which we did some fieldwork yesterday. The lecturer was Markus Eckerstorfer. Since avalanches are common on Svalbard a lot of research is provided on this field. After a lunch we were heading out to the field, in Adventsdalen. This was our first big excursion outside Longyearbyen and we had to carry rifles and signal pistols, which made it a little more serious. In Adventsdalen we measured the depth of the thawed layer on over 120 preset locations. After that we looked at some equipment that measures temperature in the permafrost. We saw a plane that was shot during World War Two, and because all traces of humans before 1946 has to be preserved the rests of the plane was still there for us to see. We also looked at ice wedges and polygon landscapes and how to measure the rate of expansion of the ice wedges. It was exciting to see a real polygon field and we were left there for a while to observe and take pictures. While we waited for the busses to come and take us home to Longyearbyen we sat and enjoyed the sun and watched unafraid reindeers approaching us. It was nice to have a sunny and warm day for once.Susanne Siren and Sunniva Vatle
Norweigan: Vi våknet opp til en vakker, solrik og varm dag. Dagen startet med en forelesning om permafrost med Hanne H. Christiansen. Siden 60% av Svalbard er dekket av breer og resten er permafrost og periglasiale prosesser er dette den viktig del av forskningen på Svalbard. Neste forelesning var av Markus Eckerstofer og handlet om snöskred. Det går ganske mange snöskred i löpet av vinteren på Svalbard, så det blir gjort mye i dette feltet. Etter lunsj drog vi ut i felt i Adventsdalen. Her målte vi dybden av det tinte laget over Permafrosten. Vi så et fly som hadde blitt beskutt under andre verdenskrig som er vernet av en lov som sier at alle menneskelige spor för 1946 skal bevares. Deretter ble vi undervist i hvordan iskiler utvikler seg og blir til polygonmark. Det var spennende å se ekte polygonmark og vi fikk gå rundt for oss selv å ta bilder og observere det arktiske dyreliv og landformer. Mens vi ventet på bussen tilbake til Longyear fikk vi tid til å nyte solen og se uredde reinsdyr komme i mot oss. Det var fint å ha en dag med sol og varme for en gangs skyld.Sunniva Swedish:  Vi vaknade upp till en vacker, solig och varm dag. Dagen börjare med en föreläsning om permafrost med Hanne H. Christiansen. Då 60% av Svalbard är täckt av glaciärer och resten är permafrost och periclaciära processer är detta en viktig del av forskningen på Svalbard. Nästa föreläsning var av Markus Eckerstofer och handlade om laviner, som vi gjorde lite fältarbete på igår. Eftersom laviner är vanliga på Svalbard finns mycket forskning på området. Efter lunchen drog vi ut till fält, till Adventsdalen. Detta var vår första excursion utanför Longyearbyen så vi var tvugna att ta med oss gevär och signalpistoler, vilket gjorde det hela mer seriöst. I Adventsdalen mätte vi djupet på det tinade lagret på över 120 förbestämda platser. Efter det tittade vi på instrument som mäter permafrostens temperatur. Vi såg ett plan som hade blivit skjuten under Andra Världskriget och eftersom alla mänskliga spår innan 1946 måste förbli bevarade fanns resterna av planet kvar på plats för oss att se. Vi kollade även på iskilar och polygon landskap och hur man mäter utvidgnings hastigheten på iskilarna. Det var intressant att se ett riktigt polygon landskap och vi blev kvar där ett tag för att observera och ta kort. Medans vi satt och väntade på att bli upplockade av bussen tillbaka till Longyearbyen så satt vi och njöt av solen och kollade på orädda renar som närmade sig oss. Det var skönt att ha en varm och solig dag för en gång skull.Susanne Siren
Friday 19th June The day began at 9:15am with lectures on oceanography. The first was with Helen Johnson from Oxford University who gave us an overview of oceanographic principles. She gave us a few ideas about possible future scenarios depending on climate change impacts on thermohaline circulation. She focused on the importance of high latitude circulation, especially the region near Svalbard. This is where warm Atlantic Ocean currents flow into the Arctic Ocean. She is working on an IPY project called Arctic/Subarctic Ocean Fluxes (ASOF). The project is attempting to quantify the flux of freshwater output through the Nares Strait which is located between Greenland and Ellesmere Island. The next lecture was given by Yngve Kristofferson from the University of Bergen. He was talking about paleoceanography and the geologic evolution of the Arctic Ocean. His IPY project was called Classroom on the Ice which involves a group of high school students spending time on the Arctic Ocean travelling by hovercraft. It is an outreach project trying to encourage new students and introduce them to field work. The final speaker was Marius Årthun who discussed the characterization of the Barents Sea. He is also working on an IPY project called Bipolar Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation (BIAC) project. The goal is to understand the mixing and the coupling between the land and sea in the high latitudes. We had an interesting class discussion to finish the day. Dinner was in the UNIS cantina. We had pizza from Kroa (a restaurant in town) before the weekly Friday Gathering. Anyone, including students, lecturers, and professors, are welcome to come and socialize. It also was the Swedish midsummer. Susanne took the initiative to lead us in a traditional Swedish celebration. She taught us a few songs and we danced in a circle around the fireplace singing the songs and acting them out. We also tried balancing on a ratchet strap tied between two posts. We listened to music, had drinks, and some of us went out on the town after. Monica Hall and Berit Husteli
Norwegien:Dagen startet med en forelesning i oseanografi klokka 9.15. Helen Johnson fra Oxford University ga oss en oversikt over de viktigste oseanografiske prosessene. Hun skisserte mulige fremtidsscenarioer for den termohaline sirkulasjonen, forårsaket av globale klimaforandringer. Det ble fokusert på hvor viktig havsirkulasjonen på høye lengdegrader er, og spesielt regionen rundt Svalbard. Dette er områder hvor varmt atlantisk vann strømmer inn til Polhavet. Hun arbeider med et IPY-prosjekt som heter Arctic/Subarctic Ocean Fluxes (ASOF). Prosjektet prøver å kvantifisere ferskvannsfluxen ut av Polhavet gjennom Nares Strait, som ligger mellom Grønnland og Ellismere Island. Neste forelesning ble holdt av Yngve Kristoffersen fra Universitetet i Bergen. Han snakket om paleooseanografi og den geologiske utviklingen av Polhavet. Hans IPY-prosjekt heter Classroom on the Ice og dreier seg om å introdusere polarforskning til elever i den videregående skole ved å ta de med til isen i Polhavet med luftputebåt. Der utøver de feltarbeid og hensikten er å rekruttere nye polarforskere. Den siste forelesningen var av Marius Årthun som introduserte oss til Barentshavet. Han arbeider med et IPY-prosjekt som heter Bipolar Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation (BIAC). Målet med deres prosjekt er å forstå hvordan varmt atlantisk vann blander seg med kalds arktisk vann samtidig som det utveksler energi med land og atmosfære langt nord. Vi hadde en interessant diskusjon av dagens forelesninger på slutten av dagen. Middagen ble servert I UNIS-kantina. Vi spiste pizza fra Kroa (en restaurant i byen) før den ukentlige Friday Gathering. Dette er en UNIS-tradisjon som innebærer at studenter, forelesere, professorer og andre tilknyttet UNIS kan sosialisere rundt peisen på en uhøytidelig måte. Det var også svensk midtsommer. Susanne brakte på bane noen svenske tradisjoner, derfor danset vi rundt peisen og sang svenske midtsommersanger med tilhørende dans. Ettersom noen hadde satt opp et par slakke liner mellom søylene, prøvde mange ut å balansere på dem. I det store og hele hørte vi på musikk, drakk god drikke og ble mer kjent. Noen av oss dro også ut på byen etterpå. Monica & Berit
Saturday 20th June
After lunch we headed out in the hills close to Sukkertoppen to look at some representatives of the beautiful flora of Svalbard. Some of us got really wet from the melting snow (leading to some -barefooted students), but it was obviously worth it - the flowers were great.
One of the fine traditions of this celebration is to take a dip in the sea (which in this area also receives fresh and cold melt water from the nearby mountains). Most of us partook in this fine ritual, both the willing and the unwilling, and went in the ice-cold water, followed by reheating by the bonfire. The party went on all through the night, with dancing under the midnight sun. This led to an even harder Sunday morning (which we had to spend at school, gladly, of course). But there’s no stopping us! (well, most of us ). Lars and Lisa
Sunday 21 June We were a little worse for wear following the midsummer party at the beach the previous night but managed attentiveness throughout the days lectures. Mostly. We studied the arctic marine ecosystem, zooplankton, the arctic cod and the polar bear. I have studied very little biology previously and felt I gained a lot from this introduction. I particularly enjoyed the polar bear lecture given by Jon Aars as he spoke with practical experience about the study of these fantastic animals in the wild with particular emphasis on the Svalbard population. The marine biology talks were also interesting and I look forward to the lessons being reinforced in the field next week. However, by the days end the brain had reached saturation.We ate reindeer for dinner at Huset and enjoyed samples of fine wine from the restaurants famous wine cellar. Polar science is very comfortable. Sean Buchanan, New Zealand
Monday 22 June
 Today was our first and only free day and it came as a welcome break from lectures. The group consensus was for some exercise along the mountains surrounding Longyearbyen. We assembled early, much to some peoples despair, and began our climb up the sloppy muddy ridge at the south end of the beach end of town. The track turned to loose rock and then we were soon in snow. The weather was grey and we ascended into the cold cloud eventually coming out into clear skies. The jackets went away and the shades and sunglasses came out. 'Waterproof' shoes proved otherwise. Hiking in snow was a brand new experience for at least one member of the group and a bit out of the ordinary for a number of us. We summated mt Trollsteinen (~850m), took in the fantastic view of the Svalbard mountainscape, threw snowballs at each other and then tobogganed across to Sarkofagen (the coffin). We descended down the Larsbreen glacier and took in a good view of the rock glacier at the bottom. 21 bear-aware international students completed the ~15km trip in 3 groups and we were only mistaken for tourists once (the outrage!). We had an excellent buffet dinner at the Radisson polar hotel and stuffed ourselves with a plethora of dishes including seal and whale. I enjoyed exploring and appreciated the experience of climbing the mountains which encase the arctic town where we live and study. The company was second to none.Sean Buchanan, New Zealand
Pyramiden Today was our free day during the 3 week IPY field school so all of us wanted to plan something fun to do for the day. We found a schedule of local activities going on from the museum in UNIS and decided that a boat trip may be fun. Two of us ended up booking a 9 hour boat trip to the town of Pyramiden, which is located at the end of Isfjorden. We departed around 8:30 AM along with about 10 others that were visiting Svalbard as well. As we headed east into the fjord we enjoyed views of the mountains with a low cloud deck covering the tops and many sea birds flew along nearby. Along the trip we passed the oldest standing house on Svalbard and also saw a bearded seal sitting on a piece of sea ice. We also went by several bird cliffs and enjoyed the Little Auks and Puffins that passed us by.The clouds began to clear as we came up on the sea ice pack that had been broken up the previous day. We also had great views of Nordenskiold glacier as we passed through the sea ice and pulled into the bay. It was the first time that a ship was able to make it to the dock in the old abandoned Russian mining town of Pyramiden since the fjord froze over last fall, and as we climbed down to the dock our guide started jumping and yelling… she was so excited to have finally been able to make it to the town… haha. The town is named for the “Pyramid” shaped top on the local mountain. Walking around the town was very eerie. The old mining town was abandoned in 1998 when all of its 900 residents left for Barentsburg, another Russian settlement at the edge of the fjord. It literally looked as if everyone had simply up and left Pyramiden overnight! Playground swings still rocked in the wind, a chair was lying on its side near a sidewalk, and a child’s sled waited for a rider near the living quarters they called “Madhouse” (it was where the families with children stayed). There were 2 other buildings for the singles in town… the single women stayed in “Paris”… and the single men stayed in “London”… and it was said that when London and Paris met… they wound up in the “Madhouse”. Many of the buildings still so new! There was a school, community center with a statue of Lenin outside, and recreation center complete with a pool. I was just waiting for kids to come running out of one of the buildings. There are now only 2 individuals that stay in the town over the winter just to keep the settlement in order. We actually had the pleasure of meeting one of those individuals while walking around town. It was the first time he had seen another human aside from the one other man here since the fall.  His name was Afghani… and his story was haunted by sad memories. He was originally from Ukraine and his family lived in this town. While walking around town I enjoyed his company as we tried to talk in broken English with the others. He told me that they have no rifle to protect from polar bears so they tend to stay close to the buildings all winter. He and the other man spent evenings learning English from books, reading, lifting weights, and boxing. Afghani also took in a local stray cat that he named “Cat”. As we departed to the boat it was sad to see him standing alone on the dock. It was then that the tour guide informed me that he lost all of his family… mother, father, and sister… on the plane crash a few years back near Longyearbyen. A Russian plane had been chartered to fly family and workers back to Svalbard to live at the settlement and all lives onboard were lost as the plane crashed into a mountain in a winter storm. The guide told me he made a promise to his father to wait for him here and sent his daughter, who is now 11 back to Ukraine. He still writes to her but that is his only communication. As we departed I was saddened by this man’s story. He had such a hard life living alone here. While we were walking around in town he said it’s very lonely but he described the views and quiet surroundings in town as “Paradise”. Learning about his story really puts a place like Svalbard into perspective. Times have been hard here yet the views are amazing. Overall it was a wonderful day to take in the sights and history in this amazing Arctic island. It is so nice to really talk with the people in the places you live in and travel to. I think that as scientists we sometimes get wrapped up in the data and science, overlooking the human aspects and impacts. It’s nice reminder to look beyond the science every now and then, and really listen to the people. I know Afghani’s story and this trip will stick with me for some time to come. Becky Legatt, USA
Tuesday 23rd June It was a long and full day in the fresh air of Svalbard. Our day began with a bit of a glitch as the cruise ship came in early blocking our marine research boat from leaving the docking area. Plans were altered and we all started out the day with a stunning 10 km ride west of Longyearbyen along the fjord to Bjorndalen. In Bjorndalen we were shuttled by zodiac boat along the water to bypass a river, and arrived at out terrestrial study site. Birds seen before the field work even began included: arctic skua, black-legged kittiwake, arctic turns, black guillemots, northern fulmars, Brunnich’s guillemots, common eiders , a king eider, and hundreds of little auks. A pretty impressive selection of arctic birds!  During the morning and into the early afternoon we hiked up the slope below a little auk nesting colony. We sampled soil, invertebrates, and collected Bistorta vivipara specimens along a nutrient gradient down the slope. All data collected will be used in a future terrestrial biology project (stay tuned for more information!).After a lunch complimented with hot beverages, chocolate, and cookies, we headed out on a research boat to continue field work. On the research boat we measured water salinity, visibility depth, and temperature; then collected zooplankton, phytoplankton, and water samples. Marine data collected will also be used in a future biology project connected to little auks. (stay tuned for more info on this one too!) The day ended in a nice leisurely ferry\taxi ride back to Longyearbyen, where we dined on the ‘beach’ in classic barbeque style. Steak, sausage, potato salad, roasted corn, and for those adventurous vegetations a peanut-tasting veggie pattie! Jodi Pongracz
Wednesday 24 June 2009 The day began with an introduction to the projects we are going to be working on for the rest of our time in Svalbard, ranging from oceanography to permafrost and biology. After a lecture on Arctic predators and their use as indicators of the state of tundra ecosystems by Nigel Yoccoz (University of Tromso), we had our first group meetings for our projects, taking a first look at the data and literature for our respective assignments. The final lecture of the day was a fascinating talk on auroras by Kjellmar Oksavik (UNIS), discussing their formation and the possible link between solar activity and climatic cycles in the Arctic. Since the catering staff at UNIS forgot to provide us with dinner, some of us needed a traditional Norwegian snack, the icecream sandwich, before heading up to Huset for yet another decent meal, followed by a cake party back at the barracks.Stefan Lachowycz & Vegard Våge
 This day was focussed on the human dimension of the Arctic, and how climate change will impact the indigenous communities across the Arctic region. After an introductory lecture by Lars Kullerud (President of the University of the Arctic), we had lectures from Jennifer West (CICERO, University of Oslo) on ‘Arctic peoples in a changing climate’, introducing the IPY CAVIAR project, which aims to understand how Arctic communities are vulnerable to climate change and the best strategies for adaptation. After a break to watch the (only) epic Norwegian movie ‘Flaaklypa Grand Prix’, we then had lectures and a long discussion on the effects of changes in climate on reindeer herding in the Arctic region with Anders Oskal (Director of the International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry) and Anne-Maria Magga, on the EALAT project examining ways to reduce the vulnerability of reindeer herding communities to climate change. We then rushed over to the SAS hotel for a two-course dinner, followed by a ‘small’ party to celebrate the birthday of Nadia, a member of our group. Stefan Lachowycz & Vegard Våge
Friday 26 June 2009 Preparation for field trip - History of SvalbardToday was a preparation day for our field trip on the weekend. We spent the morning with buying chocolates and candies, preparing our equipment and borrowing some equipment at the UNIS logistics. At 2 pm we had a security briefing for the fieldwork. This contains information about the area, like a geological overview and morphological specifics provided by some aerial pictures. This briefing includes some general information about polar bears in the area and remindes us to the general rules of meeting polar bears.  The second part of the day was characterized by the history of Svalbard. Thor B. Arlov was lecturer for this and he presented a short and gripping overview. The island of Svalbard was discovered by Willem Barents, a dutch captain, as far as known so far. It was first a part time base for whale hunters and trappers. At the beginning of the 20th century the temporary settlements were replaced by a permanent mining colony. John M. Longyear, an American businessman, founded a mining company in 1905 on Svalbard, the camp was named after him. In 1925 Svalbard finally became part of Norway. The island was evacuated and destroyed during world war two and rebuild afterwards.After this introduction we had a walking excursion. Thor B. Arlov and Hanne H. Christiansen showed us key sites of Longyearbyean. As it is characteristic for excursions, we received hard weather conditions with temperatures of 2°C and a wind chill around -10°C. Thor and Hanne started their trip at the university center. Afterwards we visited the old part of town on the western side of the Longyeardalen valley. We saw several old and new governmental buildings of the Sysselmannen, the Norwegian governor of Svalbard. The excursion had a close connection to mining and its effects to the town. The old installations like transport systems for coal, power plants and quays are still visible. They are protected as a cultural heritage. Hanne informed us about arctic town planning as well. Finally we had an excellent dinner at Kroa, a cute restaurant at Longyearbyen. Benno Rummel
Saturday 27 June - Sunday 28 June
This past weekend, students from the IPY field school went on a two-day excursion to Kapp Linné and Barentsburg. The students embarked on their journey to the Western edge of Svalbard in three zodiac boats, with hopes that the prevailing westward winds would subdue enough for their travel through Isfjorden. After surviving the bumpy two-hour journey, the students partook in a six-hour hike around Kapp Linné. The students were introduced to nearly 600 million years of geological history along the coastline. However, hopes to rediscover the dinosaur prints on the Jurassic rocks were met with slight disappointment, as the tide was too high. All was not lost, as the students were able to pick through the large traces of fossils littering the Permian rocks. The evening was spent at historic Isfjord Radio station, and the students kept a close eye out for the polar bears that regularly frequent the hotel. Several students were brave enough to delve into the frigid seawaters for their second polar dip of the field school. Sunday also involved another 7 km hike to investigate the permafrost on Kapp Linné. On the way to Barentsburg, the students were also able to see one of the newest walrus colonies in southern Svalbard. Sunday afternoon was spent in Barentsburg, where students were given a tour on one of the two Russian settlements here in Svalbard. An authentic Russian lunch complimented the visit. The students will be spending the upcoming days working on their group projects in preparation for their posters and presentations. Melissa Rohde, APECS
Sunday 28 June 2009 After a pleasant night’s sleep at Basecamp Isfjord Radio, we woke up to a wondrous breakfast of meats, veggies, caffeine and Gnutella. We were given a nice introduction to the history of Kapp Linné by the owner of Basecamp and how it has evolved into what it is today. Soon enough, our lunches were packed, rifles gathered and we were back on the tundra road for another day’s lesson in geology, permafrost, and how to avoid getting your shoes soaked while hiking.  Immediately after lunch, we raced back to the harbor, threw on our float suits, and headed off into Isfjord for a refreshing boat ride to Barentsburg. We were cruising along the coastline, admiring startled Atlantic Puffins and keeping an eye out for polar bears when we were suddenly stopped by locals: walrus.
There were lots of them, snorting, swimming, and taking a curious look at the visitors in their waters. They even smelled bad too.
After our walrus party, we headed straight to Barentsburg for a history lesson on the Russian settlement. There are about 450 people that live there. The coal-mining community is complete with a hotel, museum, post office, pig farm, and a Lenin Statue. We were treated to the finest Russian cuisine and then hopped back in the boats for the sea-drenched ride back to Longyearbyen. Our day was complete with hot showers and cups of tea. Melinda Webster and Nadia Ordoñez
Thursday 2 JulyFor the past three weeks, a group of undergraduates from 11 countries has heard lectures, collected terrestrial and marine samples, climbed the steep slopes beneath bird colonies, and watched huge male walruses at arms length from small boats. I heard that on their ‘rest’ day they took an 11-hour hike. I know that a few of them (mostly the Norwegians, I hear) took a very short swim. In the most recent 48 hours they have sorted their samples, identified their organisms, explored and analyzed their data, and produced a presentation and a poster. Along the way they confronted every incompatibility among operating systems, software versions, and analysis and visualization tools, worked long hours, and met deadlines. Then they impressed two Svalbard journalists with their enthusiasm. I often serve as an evaluator for young scientist posters, perhaps because I have substantial experience asking dumb questions and no apparent institutional bias. In the hundreds of posters I have evaluated, the five produced here in two days by teams of inexperienced researchers would rank among the best. Liz Thomas and Melissa Rohde from APECS, along with Elise Stromseng from IPY-Norway and UNIS, have done a superb job to organize the summer school and to support the students every day. Hanna Christiansen from UNIS has developed and guided the academic programs and expeditions, and UNIS has served as an excellent host and location. Funding for the school came from IPY-Norway and University of the Arctic. During this final week Jen Baeseman, the APECS Director, and I have talked to them about how to build attractive posters and how to make effective presentations. We can clearly see our advice and recommendations taking new and interesting forms in their products. Personally, I feel impressed and enthused, recharged and optimistic after only a few days in their company. Dave Carlson, Director of IPY International Programme Office
Friday 3 July After a successful three weeks of learning polar science from first hand experience at the UArctic/IPY-Norway field school, students are setting off to their home countries and institutions around the globe. Evaluators were particularly impressed with the calibre of science achieved by the ‘energetic and enthusiastic’ group. A key finding highlighted in the projects, was the discovery of a new invertebrate species not previously observed on Svalbard.
Melissa Rohde, APECS
|
Excursion to Kapp Linné  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |