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Project information
Exploring groUNDwater-surface watER interactions in High Arctic catchments (UNDER)
Call year: 2025
Status: active
IADC_id: 813
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Project description:
The primary objectives of this project are to describe and quantify water dynamics to overcome the information gaps on hydrologic processes in northern and southern Spitsbergen. This will provide a clearer picture of the current state and potential future evolution of water resources in this region. The study will regard Fuglebekken and Ariebekken catchments in Hornsund , chosen from previous projects including WELL (RIS: 12483), springs, and groundwater from several piezometers in these sites. Comparison with hydrological processes in the Bayelva catchment near Ny-Ålesund (Ny-A), chosen following the results from ICETOFLUX (RIS:11795), ISMOGLAC (RIS: 10298) projects, will be performed by means of previous data and data acquired during the project. On-site activities will be performed during the summer period to achieve three main objectives: 1) to define the hydrological dynamics and the relationsh among stream water and groundwater, including the quantification and physical-chemical characterization, the identification of the main water sources, and a spatio-temporal analysis using remote sensing in Hornsund; 2) to point out differences in the hydrological processes in Hornsund between glaciated and unglaciated catchments; 3) to compare of the outcomes with the Bayelva catchment near Ny-A; Overall, this project has the potential to lay the foundation for large-scale studies of the High Arctic.
National/International Cooperation:
The consortium includes 2 partners: the Institute of Geosciences and Georesources of the National Research Council of Italy and the Institute of Geophysics Polish Academy of Sciences. The expertise, resources, and visibility of this interdisciplinary team will ensure the successful completion of the project and will promote a comprehensive and collaborative approach to studying hydrologic dynamics in Arctic environments. The IGG-CNR team has a proven experience and a strong scientific background in the study of Arctic hydrogeological processes using analytical methods and facilities proposed in this project. IGG-CNR is equipped with several laboratories (e.g. hydrogeology, geochemistry, stable isotopes, data management, modelling), most of them headed by UNDER participants. IGG-CNR manages the monitoring station at Bayelva River (Ny-A) and the related dataset, which will be compared with those from this project. This will promote the development of long-term scientific cooperation with the two research groups, sharing and comparing data from different Arctic compartments and regions to enhance public awareness of the changes occurring in the hydrosphere in Polar Regions. Moreover, the project will enhance the collaboration of two Arctic infrastructures, improving the SIOS network and data for Earth System Science research and monitoring. The Polish Polar Station in Hornsund has a long history of monitoring meteorological parameters, studying geomorphological and glaciological components. The IGF research group deals with hydrological modelling, remote sensing, and permafrost studies. The IGF team has proven successful in conducting cryo-hydro-meteorological fieldwork in the Hornsund area, followed by comprehensive data analysis.
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