Andy Hodson

Professor, Glaciology

A 207

Andy’s research largely takes places in Svalbard and Antarctica, but he has also worked in Greenland and northern Sweden. His work considers the implications of ground thaw and ice melt for the release of water, sediment and nutrients into runoff. Particular attention is given to glacier hydrology and how the sensitive ecosystems found at the ice margin are influenced by meltwater dynamics. He also looks at the microbial ecosystems within the ice itself, since there are fewer habitats more vulnerable to the impacts of climate warming than ice and snow.

The build-up of methane beneath the sea ice in front of the marine-terminating Fridtjovbreen (and others like it) was discovered during the CLIMAGAS Projecct and is now receiving close attention in the GlaciGas Project.
The build-up of methane beneath the sea ice in front of the marine-terminating Fridtjovbreen (and others like it) was discovered during the CLIMAGAS Projecct and is now receiving close attention in the GlaciGas Project.

Recent projects

Lagoon Pingo Seep starts to freeze at the end of summer, but you can see how the constant gas emissions retard the rate of ice formation. Also shown is a system of hydrophones and dissolved methane detectors developed for flux monitoring as part of TerraSeep. The centre of the pool releases about 1 ton of methane each year.Lagoon Pingo Seep starts to freeze at the end of summer, but you can see how the constant gas emissions retard the rate of ice formation. Also shown is a system of hydrophones and dissolved methane detectors developed for flux monitoring as part of TerraSeep. The centre of the pool releases about 1 ton of methane each year.
Lagoon Pingo Seep starts to freeze at the end of summer, but you can see how the constant gas emissions retard the rate of ice formation. Also shown is a system of hydrophones and dissolved methane detectors developed for flux monitoring as part of TerraSeep. The centre of the pool releases about 1 ton of methane each year.
The SIOS-funded TerraSeep installation during winter. Note that the lake ice is starting to arch upwards under pressure, lifting te buoy. Sometimes the lake surface is elevated by as much as 3m under the ice blister because the groundwater keeps flowing under artesian pressure.
The SIOS-funded TerraSeep installation during winter. Note that the lake ice is starting to arch upwards under pressure, lifting te buoy. Sometimes the lake surface is elevated by as much as 3m under the ice blister because the groundwater keeps flowing under artesian pressure.
Heading towards the 800m high cliffs across a blue ice field at Troll Station, Antarctica during the BIOICE Project. The translucent blue ice enables sub-surface melting near dark debris particles to sustain microbial ecosystems.
Heading towards the 800m high cliffs across a blue ice field at Troll Station, Antarctica during the BIOICE Project. The translucent blue ice enables sub-surface melting near dark debris particles to sustain microbial ecosystems.

Commissioned Report:

Hodson, A., Kleber, G., Platt, S., Kalenitchenko, D., Hengsens, G., Irvine-Fynn, T., Senger, K., Tveit, A., Øvreås, L., ten Hietbrink, S., Hollander, J., Ammerlaan, F., Damm, E., Römer, M., Fransson, A., Chierici, M., Delpech, L.-M., Pirk, N., Sen, A., & Redecker, K. (2025). Methane in Svalbard (SvalGaSess). In SESS report 2024 – The State of Environmental Science in Svalbard – an annual report (pp. 106–137). Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14425572

Journal articles:

Nowak, A., Isaksson, E., Sunde, Ø., Elvevold, S., Sandven, H., Moholdt, G., Hudson, S.R., Urset, A., Edwards, A., Rassner, S.M. and Pearce, D., Hamre, B. and Hodson, A. 2024. Antarctic Blue Ice Areas are hydrologically active, nutrient rich and contain microbially diverse cryoconite holes. Communications Earth & Environment 5(1), 345.

Dayal, A., Hodson, A.J., Šabacká, M. and Smalley, A.L., 2023. Seasonal snowpack microbial ecology and biogeochemistry on a High Arctic ice cap reveals negligible autotrophic activity during spring and summer melt. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 128(10), e2022JG007176.

Hodson, A., Kleber, G., Johnson, J., Lonardi, M., Petroselli, C., Dixon, T. and Bottrell, S., 2023. Effects of glacier retreat upon glacier-groundwater coupling and biogeochemistry in Central Svalbard. Journal of Hydrology 624, 129894.

Jones, E.L., Hodson, A.J., Redeker, K.R., Christiansen, H.H., Thornton, S.F. and Rogers, J., 2023. Biogeochemistry of low‐and high‐centered ice‐wedge polygons in wetlands in Svalbard. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 34(3), 359-369.

Kleber, G.E., Hodson, A.J., Magerl, L., Mannerfelt, E.S., Bradbury, H.J., Zhu, Y., Trimmer, M. and Turchyn, A.V., 2023. Groundwater springs formed during glacial retreat are a large source of methane in the high Arctic. Nature Geoscience 16(7), 597-604.