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SuPerficial and ground-wateR systems Interaction and evolutioN in a meltinG Arctic Region (SPRING)
Call year: 2026
Status: active
IADC_id: 841
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Project description:
SPRING main objective is to characterise freshwater systems in the Arctic region in terms of water fl ow distribution, water quantity and quality inthe different sectors, such as superfi cial water bodies, shallow groundwater within the active layer, and deep groundwater system, providing apicture of the ongoing and possible future evolutions of the water resources in this environment. The study will regard the lower sector of Bayelva catchment (Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard). On-site activities will be performed from the beginning to the end of the melting period to answer the RQs detailed above, achieving 4 objectives: 1) to defi ne the hydrological dynamics and the relationships among lakes, streamwater and groundwater in the active layer and in the deeperunderground sectors, characterising, chemically and physically, and quantifying the main water sources; 2) to investigate the extension and evolution of underground water systems, both above and below the permafrost, as a possible groundwaterresource for the Arctic communities; 3) to quantify the mobilisation and water transport of inorganic and organic tracers, pollutants, DOM, suspended solids and microbial biomass inthe different superfi cial and underground components; 4) to provide: i)a water budget for the system, specifying the different water fl ux components, and ii)scenarios of water components evolution. SPRING will provide the fi rst geophysical 3Dimage of groundwater system and high-resolution maps of soil humidity and groundwater outfl ow.Overall, SPRING has the potential to transform the current understanding of terrestrial freshwater systems in the high Arctic and lay thefoundation for large-scale studies of the entire Arctic ecosystems and for strategies in water resources exploitation and protection. SPRING resultswill strongly favour the Ny-Alesund population and research community with information useful for other climate-related research and to supportwater supply strategies.
National/International Cooperation:
The project will benefit the collaboration with Università della Sapienza and the project PRA-23 MILESTONE and the Polish Academy of Science, in particular with Marzena Osuch for comparison with Hornsund area.
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