PROJECT
Following water through a warming Arctic.
SPRING investigates how Arctic freshwater systems evolve as glaciers retreat and permafrost thaws. The project studies the hidden exchanges between groundwater and surface water, and how water transports chemistry, microorganisms and environmental signals across the Bayelva catchment.
SCIENTIFIC VISION
The Arctic water cycle is becoming increasingly interconnected.
Meltwater generated by glaciers can infiltrate thawing soils, interact with groundwater systems and eventually reach rivers and fjords. Along this journey, water carries sediments, nutrients, dissolved organic matter, pollutants and microbial life. SPRING investigates these processes through an integrated environmental approach.
CORE QUESTIONS
Four questions shape the project.
01.
Hidden groundwater
How does groundwater move within the active layer and beneath permafrost?
02.
Water quality
Can melting processes mobilise pollutants, organic matter and suspended solids?
03.
River systems
How much groundwater contributes to the Bayelva river flow?
04.
Future resources
Could new freshwater resources emerge in a melting Arctic?