By General Manager Keld Hornbech Svendsen, cand. scient. PhD Greenland Survey - Asiaq

1. Greenland Survey - Asiaq By General Manager Keld Hornbech Svendsen, cand. scient. PhDGreenland Survey - Asiaq Content: 1. Introduction 2. Asiaq 3. Monitor climate and hydrology 4. Monitoring the Ice Edge 5. Research on Permafrost. Photo: Nuuk, by Jens Duvander 1

2. Greenland Survey - Asiaq 1. Introduction: Global projections Reports from ACIA and IPCC refer to the global scene, e.g. “ Changes will be most pronounced in the Arctic” : •Warmer winters: Less sea ice, thawing of permafrost Melting at the edge of the Ice Cap •Increased precipitation: Increased washing out of nutrients”. As a result Asiaq is invited to participate in international projects. 2

3. Greenland Survey - Asiaq 1. Introduction: Annual temperatures globally and in Greenland Annual mean temperatures, Globally Annual mean temperatures, Nuuk, Greenland 1930 1960 (Ref. DMI) 3

4. Greenland Survey - Asiaq 1. Introduction: Annual temperatures in Greenland Considerable warming since 1990 Only a minor warming in South West Greenland. 4

5. Greenland Survey - Asiaq 1. Introduction: Comparison with other annual temperatures 5

6. Greenland Survey - Asiaq 2. Asiaq: - www.asiaq.gl Government of Greenland Ministry of Housing, Infrastructure and Traffic Greenland Survey, Asiaq Asiaq undertakes assignments related to the physical environment in Greenland. Main Building Workshop and depot Our budget is around 5.5 mill. $. 35 employees: surveyors, technicians, engineers, candidates in geology, hydrology, climate .. We are based in Nuuk. 6

7. Greenland Survey - Asiaq 2. Asiaq: A project-oriented organisation General Manager General Project Manager Reception and accounts Information Tech. Group Workshop Hydrology, Climate & Environments Mapping and Geodata Survey and Geophysics Zackenberg Actual Weather Map Updating GIS Service Nuuk Basic Hydro Power Permafrost Al Melting • This organisation ensures: • Establishing of new projects • Transfer of knowledge. 7

8. 2. Asiaq: Work in our groups Greenland Survey - Asiaq Modern Greenland was founded through intensive mapping of settlements and geotechnical survey of most buildings since 1950s. Now a days we use airplanes and satellites for mapping. An orthophoto from central Nuuk, Greenland 8

9. Greenland Survey - Asiaq 2. Asiaq: Work in our groups We have around 60 climate stations in settlements, at mines, in airports and at research stations. 9

10. Greenland Survey - Asiaq 2. Asiaq: Presentation of results 10

11. Greenland Survey - Asiaq 2. Asiaq: Work for partners The purpose hydrology stations is to calculate annual amount of water : • We measure: • Profiles of river • The surface level (from above) • Height of water (from below) 11

12. Greenland Survey - Asiaq 2. Asiaq: Work for partners • We study hydrology components in fjord systems: • In catchment areas not affected by glaciers • Sudden discharge from ice-dammed lakes • Measure runoff from glaciers and the ice cap. 12

13. 2. Asiaq: Work for partners Greenland Survey - Asiaq • We survey: • New airports, harbours, roads and new buildings • Mines - • Water potentials for hydro power stations .. • We also survey new industrial sites, e.g. for Aluminium plant Glacier fed lake Tenting for days Survey of large lakes and measurements of outlet from the ice. 13

14. 2. Asiaq: Work for partners Greenland Survey - Asiaq We evaluate water potentials of outlets from the Ice Cap. 14

15. Greenland Survey - Asiaq 3. Monitor climate and hydrology We do follow the effect of changing climate : Research projects: 3. Monitoring at Research Stations 4. Monitoring the Ice Edge 5. Research on Permafrost. 15

16. Greenland Survey - Asiaq 3. Monitoring: Research Station Zackenberg - in high Arctic (74°30’N, 20°30’W). ”An undisturbed climate/ecological system.”. • Asiaq run the Climate Basic program: • Climate stations • Hydrological station in the river. 16

17. Greenland Survey - Asiaq 3. Monitoring climate: - Ref. Chapter 6. Present Day Climate (Birger Ulf Hansen, Charlotte Sigsgaard, Leif Rasmussen, John Cappelen, Joergen Hinkler, Sebastian Mernild, Mikkel P. Thamstorf, Morten Rasch, Bent Hasholt and Dorthe Petersen) Ref. High-Arctic Ecosystem Dynamics in a Changing Climate10 years of monitoring, Edited by Hans Meltofte et al., Wiley marts 2008) Our major climate stations consists of two 7,5 m high masts with identical sensors, in order to secure unbroken time series. Mean monthly air temperatures at Zackenberg 17

18. Greenland Survey - Asiaq 3. Monitoring climate: - Ref. Chapter 2. Climate Change Modelling Global circulation models, GCMs, with a resolution of 150–200 km. (Martin Stendel, Jens Hesselbjerg Christensen, DMI, and Dorthe Petersen, Asiaq Ref. High-Arctic Ecosystem Dynamics in a Changing Climate 10 years of monitoring, Edited by Hans Meltofte et al., Wiley marts 2008) Winter Summer Simulated ‘surface temperature change’ using the model HIRHAM4 presented as difference between the 30 year periods 2021–2050 and 1961–1990. 18

19. Greenland Survey - Asiaq 3. Monitoring: Research Station Nuuk Basic - in low Arctic(64°N, 51°W). We provide same type of measurements as at Zackenberg Research Station. The work is funded by:   Danish Energy Agency Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Governmen of Greenland Aage V. Jensen Charity Foundation 19

20. Krabill et al. (1999) Greenland Survey - Asiaq 4. Monitoring the Ice Cap, Melting and Mass Balance • Measurements of the Ice Cap mass show a net loss of: • 91 ±31 km3 in 1996 • 224 ±41 km3 in 2005. • Space Centre DTU monitors ice thickness and • topography at the bottom. • Asiaq monitor outlet of water and provide data from our archives. A measure of sea-level rise. • GEUS has installed transect equipment. Andreas Ahlstrøm René Forsberg Ministry of Environment and Energy 20

21. Greenland Survey - Asiaq 4. Monitoring the Ice Cap, Melting and Mass Balance The results should be a major contribution to: •Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program, AMAP • IPCC- and ACIA-reports. This project also shows that Denmark and Greenland has taken responsibility to monitor the trend. 21

22. Greenland Survey - Asiaq 5. Research on Permafrost thawing in West Greenland and Alaska 25% of the northern hemisphere is covered by permafrost: It is degradating - and the process seem to accelerate in the future. 22

23. Greenland Survey - Asiaq 5. Research on Permafrost thawing in West Greenland and Alaska Financing of the project is also interesting: As a result of an agreement between US, the Greenland Home Rule and Denmark, in Igaliku 2004, we got permission to apply for funding in US. University of Alaska Fairbanks (Vladimir Romanovsky) DMI (Jens Hesselbjerg Christensen) Asiaq (Keld Hornbech Svendsen) ARTEK / BYG•DTU (Niels Foged) 23

24. Greenland Survey - Asiaq 5. Research on Permafrost thawing in West Greenland and Alaska • Bridge the gap between: • Climate and climate-change modeling • Permafrost science • In two quite different large regions. 24

25. Greenland Survey - Asiaq 5. Research on Permafrost thawing in West Greenland and Alaska 25km 12km 50km (ref. DMI). 25

26. Greenland Survey - Asiaq 5. Research on Permafrost thawing in West Greenland and Alaska • We measure: • Soil and air temperature, • Atmospheric pressure, • Wind velocity and direction, • Relative humidity • Accumulated precipitation (rain/snow) • Radiation (short and long wave, in- and outgoing). 26

27. Greenland Survey - Asiaq 5. Research on Permafrost thawing in West Greenland and Alaska 27

28. Greenland Survey - Asiaq Thank you for listening !

30. Greenland Survey - Asiaq 3. Monitoring climate: Research Station Nuuk Basic - in low Arctic(64°N, 51°W). Specifically wash out of nutrients to the fjord. 30