Fleur Rooijakkers’ mid-term qualifying exam under the PhD programme

Fleur Rooijakkers’ mid-term qualifying exam under the PhD programme 

Time: 11 November 13.00 – 15.00

Aarhus University Building 1540 – K20.

External examiner:

Professor Colin Stedmon, DTU

Internal examiner:

Associate professor Brian Sorrell

Main supervisor:

Professor Søren Rysgaard

PhD project:

This PhD study aims to address existing knowledge gaps concerning the fate of glacial meltwater and the interactions between glaciers and the ocean in Greenland, where glaciers can be influenced by both warmer Atlantic waters and colder Polar waters. Temperature and salinity profiles will be obtained close to glacier termini using recently developed ocean-profiling technologies, including autonomous drones and submarine vehicles, enabling measurements in close proximity to the glacier front. In addition, background information on oceanographic conditions - including temperature, salinity, water isotopes, nutrients, and alkalinity - will be collected along transects extending from the glacier to the open sea, and subsequently analysed and interpreted. Autonomous observations from the Greenland Integrated Observation System (GIOS) will be used to investigate seasonal and interannual variability in the complex vertical and horizontal transport and transformation of glacial meltwater. These observations will provide new insights into freshwater dynamics within glacial fjords and the processes governing the exchange between glaciers, fjords, and the surrounding ocean. The findings from this PhD project will make a novel contribution to ongoing efforts to improve the understanding and modelling of glacial meltwater dynamics and to more accurately predict their impacts on coastal environments, ecosystem dynamics, regional ocean circulation, and global sea-level rise.

Background:

Climate change has accelerated mass loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet (GIS), contributing substantially to global sea-level rise and the freshening of the Arctic Ocean. Most of the GIS mass loss can be attributed to melting at the fronts of marine-terminating glaciers. While research has predominantly focused on marine-terminating glaciers in West and Southeast Greenland, glaciers in Northeast Greenland remain comparatively understudied, despite experiencing significant ice loss through dynamic thinning. In addition to increased surface melting, the intrusion of deeper, warmer Atlantic Water masses into Greenlandic fjords and their interaction with glacier termini have been shown to enhance submarine melting. However, the scarcity of direct observations at the ice - ocean interface, owing to the logistical challenges and hazards associated with collecting measurements in these environments, limits our understanding of the complex processes governing meltwater generation, transport, and transformation at the glacier - ocean boundary.

The project is funded by Aage V. Jensen’s Foundations.