News Archive 2009 - UNIS - The University Centre in Svalbard

UNIS has signed an agreement with the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) outlining stronger cooperation within the fields of research and education. The agreement reflects the amount of climate and environmental research activity both institutions have in the Arctic.

Dissertation on the Paulabreen surge	11.12.09

On Monday December 14 Lene Kristensen will defend her Ph.D. thesis at UNIS. Her Ph.D work has been on the surging glacier Paulabreen in inner Van Mijen fjorden. Kristensen captured the progress of the surge on camera, and it is the first time image documentation of an ongoing glacier surge has been recorded.

Extended application deadline for spring 2010	08.12.09

There are still some available courses in Arctic Biology and Arctic Geophysics for spring semester 2010. Applications will be processed on a first come – first served basis, so apply today!

CO2 drill rig. Photo: Eva Therese Jenssen

The end of the drilling	01.12.09

Longyearbyen CO2 lab finalized the drilling operations of drill hole 4 last Friday, reaching a depth of 969, 8 meters. A reservoir of porous sandstones has been identified and injectivity proven. UNIS director Gunnar Sand says that the path now is open to demonstrate the carbon capture and storage value chain in Longyearbyen.

Ida, Predator X and other sea monsters	23.11.09

This week UNIS and Svalbard Museum offer lectures by Dr. Jørn Hurum on the world famous fossil Ida, Predator X and other sea monsters that once upon a time roamed the Svalbard waters. The lectures will be on Tuesday and Thursday night and are open to the public.

3-D mapping of Svalbard glacier caves	17.11.09

Glaciers' inner hydrological systems remain largely unknown, so speleological work delivers precious information and helps creating 3-dimensional maps of glacier englacial and subglacial drainage system. Jason Gulley reports on his work in glacier caves in Svalbard.

Mountain sorrel. Photo: Kristine Westergaard

“Fingerprinting” all Svalbard plants	29.10.09

UNIS botanist Inger Greve Alsos and colleagues have collected samples from all the Svalbard plant species. Now these samples will be DNA analysed, or “barcoded” and recorded in an international DNA database. - It is very important that all the plant species in Svalbard are included so they can be incorporated in future studies, Alsos says.

Chris Ware. Photo: Eva Therese Jenssen/UNIS

Beware what’s hiding under your boots	12.10.09

Chris Ware was interested in determining the risk of plant introduction into Svalbard, as a consequence of an increase in the visitation rate to the archipelago. The results show that foreign species indeed can be introduced by something as innocent as our footwear.

Kapp Linne, Svalbard. Copyright © 2009 German Aerospace Center (DLR)/Norut.

Satellites monitor the permafrost landforms in Svalbard	23.09.09

For the first time satellite technology has been incorporated in monitoring of changes in different permafrost landforms. The PERMASAR project can give additional valuable information about the rate of permafrost landform activity in Svalbard.

Apply for spring 2010	16.09.09

UNIS offers 20 courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level in spring 2010. You can now apply for these courses on-line. See the spring 2010 course overview and read more about the courses and how to apply on our Studies introduction webpage.
The application deadline is 15. October 2009.

UN Secretary is troubled and alarmed by global warming	02.09.09

The secretary of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, visited UNIS today after seeing for himself the melting ice in the waters north of Svalbard. – I am troubled and alarmed by what I have seen.

Ban Ki-Moon. Photo: UN Photo/Mark Garten

UN Secretary-General to visit UNIS	27.08.09

On September 2 the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon will visit UNIS. Together with the Norwegian Minister of Environment, the Secretary-General will lead a panel discussion on the impact of a melting Arctic.

A ”plum” discovery in Svea	05.08.09

A UNIS master student made an unusual find the other day in Svea, the mining settlement south of Longyearbyen. Just outside the mess hall she discovered two small trees, and it turns out they are tiny plum trees!

Unique data collection throughout the Arctic year	23.07.09

For the first time UNIS scientists have been able to collect ice-, water and plankton samples through a full year. The data will be important in predicting future climate changes in marine productivity and behavior as a response to the thinning and withdrawal of Arctic sea ice.

Nathorst glacier on the run	17.07.09

UNIS Ph.D. student Monica Sund and colleagues from UiO have studied the surface elevation changes of the Nathorstbreen glacier. By using subtraction of repeat digital terrain models they have succeeded in forecasting a surge of the glacier. The results further support previous findings that the majority of Svalbard glaciers are of surge-type.

Creepy-crawlies in a seabird’s nest	09.07.09

There have been few scientific investigations into the invertebrate fauna of bird nests in the Polar regions. Now a study done by scientists from UNIS, NINA and NPI can shed some more light on the life of insects and mites in bird nests on Svalbard.

Snow avalanches and traffic around Longyearbyen in winter 2009	30.06.09

Living in Longyearbyen means living in close proximity to snow avalanche prone areas. UNIS scientists are currently analyzing data on avalanches and scooter traffic around Longyearbyen in winter 2009.

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IPY blogging from the Arctic	27.06.09

Two weeks into the IPY Polar Field School in Svalbard, the 24 students have gained valuable knowledge of polar issues. A series of lectures in Arctic natural sciences have been combined with field excursions in and around Longyearbyen, which have been documented in the students' IPY blogs.

Field work in Svalbard. Photo: Steve Coulson

EcoChange meeting at UNIS	22.06.09

On 22-26th of June 45 scientists from 14 countries will gather at UNIS for the annual meeting in the EcoChange project. EcoChange is assessing the impact of global change on biodiversity and ecosystems. UNIS scientist Inger Greve Alsos is organizing the meeting.

IPY Field School kick off	14.06.09

The International and interdisciplinary IPY Polar Field School 2009 kicks off today. 24 undergraduate students from all over the world will gather at UNIS to have three weeks of lectures and field excursions, focusing on the research that has been performed during the IPY.

Black carbon affects the local climate	10.06.09

For the first time the local climate impact of black carbon concentrations around Svalbard settlements has been investigated. Borgar Aamaas’ master thesis concludes that black carbon pollution by local sources increases snow melt in Longyearbyen and Svea. Aamaas will defend his master thesis on Monday June 15.

Master opportunity in terrestrial biology	03.06.09

A master project focusing on the winter ecology of reindeer parasites in Svalbard is available from October 2009. The successful candidate will conduct extensive field work in Endalen just outside Longyearbyen. Application deadline is 31. July 2009.

Ecological detective work	22.05.09

Longyearbyen is a peaceful place with a close to non-existent crime rate. However, for a short period in spring things change dramatically. The peaceful eider is being subjected to rather shocking thefts straight in front of its beak! The perpetrator is the gluttonous glaucous gull. This behaviour is now under scrutiny by UNIS ecological detectives!

Check the state of the permafrost online	15.05.09

The first Norwegian permafrost database is now online, where you can check the state of the permafrost in Svalbard and parts of Northern Norway at any time. This is an important part of the IPY project "Thermal State of Permafrost in Norway and Svalbard" (TSP Norway).

Master opportunity in marine biology	13.05.09

UNIS seeks a master student for a project in marine/benthic ecology with a focus on long term trends in hard bottom community structure. The successful applicant will work on the project both in Tromsø and at UNIS in Longyearbyen. Application deadline is June 15, 2009.

Ph.D. position in Arctic Plant Ecology	05.05.09

The University of Tromsø has a research fellow position in Arctic Plant Ecology vacant for applicants who would like to carry out a Ph.D. degree. Field work will be conducted in Svalbard with UNIS as a base. Application deadline: 18 May 2009.

Weather station. Photo: Stefan Claes/UNIS

Adventdalen weather station back on-line	22.04.09

The Adventdalen weather station is up and running again. Updated weather data and webcam images can now be accessed from the UNIS webpage.

Master opportunities in conservation genetics of arctic plants	03.04.09

UNIS seeks 2-3 candidates with background in botany/ecology or evolution/molecular ecology or similar subjects to master projects on conservation of arctic plant species. Field work is this summer in Svalbard and DNA analyses during autumn/winter 2009/2010.

3 Ph.D. positions for Indian nationals	01.04.09

UNIS has currently three Ph.D. positions available for Indian nationals. The positions are in Arctic marine ecology, arctic marine geology and in middle atmosphere physics. The positions are available from September 1, 2009 and the application deadline for all three positions is May 4, 2009.

Master opportunity in botany	18.03.09

UNIS seeks two highly motivated students for a vegetation monitoring project in a coal mining area. Fieldwork will be conducted in Svea in July 2009. Application deadline is April 15.

UNIS studies in the autumn?	12.03.09

The new UNIS course catalogue for autumn 2009 is here. In total UNIS can offer 19 courses at the undergraduate and graduate level in the four disciplines Arctic biology, geology, geophysics and technology.
Application deadline for autumn semester 2009 is 15. April.

Exploring ice caves	05.03.09

Exploring ice caves is fun and mostly safe, but some places can be dangerous. On Monday March 9, professor in glaciology Doug Benn will talk about possible dangers in ice caves and how to recognize them.

Stipends available for UNIS students and staff	02.03.09

The Jan Christensen endowment for Norwegian students and staff at UNIS has a number of stipends available.
Application deadline is March 15, 2009.

A celebration of IPY	27.02.09

The International Polar Year celebrates its 2-year anniversary on Sunday March 1, 2009. UNIS and NPI mark this occasion with an open seminar on Sunday about IPY and Svalbard.

When every second counts	24.02.09

Sea ice poses one of the greatest risks for snow scooter drivers on Svalbard. If you go through the ice you only have – at best – a few minutes before it’s too late. Now UNIS has started throwing people into the sea to give them a realistic feel of the dangers posed by sea ice.

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Who let the dog out?	17.02.09

In 2007 André the dog was accompanied by five former UNIS students on a 77 day long skiing expedition across Spitsbergen. Now the movie about the Frozen Five trip, “Who let the dog out?”, is being shown at schools in Norway to educate children about the Arctic. And André is of course the star of the production.
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IPY Field School 2009 (10 ECTS)	11.02.09

The international/interdisciplinary field school (15. June - 3. July) is for undergraduate and early graduate level students. The course will focus on impacts of climatic changes in the Polar regions, and have a deeper look into present polar research being accomplished during IPY 2007-2009. Application deadline: 27. March 2009
Read more

AB-326 Arctic Plant Ecology (10 ECTS)	28.01.09

This graduate course examines the vegetation history, the plant adaptations, distribution and dispersals in the Arctic. Students will get theoretical lectures at UNIS, but also participate in a scientific cruise. Course dates: 8. July - 7. August 2009
Application deadline: 15. February 2009
Read more

Observing the Arctic: A window to climate change	27.01.09

June 27 - July 4 2009 there is an International Summer School at UNIS addressing the challenge of climate change. The school is open to young researchers and admission is highly competitive.
Application deadline is 15 February 2009.
Read more

Endre Før Gjermundsen. Photo: Anne Hormes/UNIS

ICEBOUND: a new timeline for maximum glaciation?	22.01.09

Ph.D. student Endre Før Gjermundsen studies the extension and age of the ice sheet during the last glaciation in Northwest Spitsbergen and Atomfjellet area. The research indicates that the maximum glaciation of Svalbard might have happened earlier than currently believed.
Read more

UNIS students. Photo: Eva Therese Jenssen

Record number of UNIS students	06.01.09

This spring UNIS has a record number of undergraduate students attending full semester courses.

They start their UNIS experience with a 6 day long safety course, which commenced yesterday.

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Things of interest

	APPLY ONLINE TO UNIS Find information about how to become a student at UNIS


	UNIS STUDENT MOVIE


	IPY FIELD SCHOOL 2012


	SIOS Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System


	UNIS CO2 LAB


	Kjell Henriksen Observatory


	SPEAR RADAR


	WEATHER Realtime weather data and downloadable historical data.


	VACANT POSITIONS


	ANNUAL REPORT 2010


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