The expedition research theme, remotely coordinated by Arjen Stroeven - professor of physical geography at Stockholm University, consists of several independent research projects. One of them focuses on studying snow cores that reveal the annual snowfall of the ice sheet - similar to tree rings, while another uses radar to collect data on the ice sheet’s volume and melt.
The East Antarctic Ice Sheet contains much of the Earth’s freshwater, so a potential future shrinking of the ice in a warming climate could have major consequences for global sea levels. We still don’t know very much about current melt patterns, but we intend to change that with this expedition to the Riiser-Larsen Ice Shelf,” says Arjen Stroeven,
This year’s fieldwork
This year, thirteen researchers from several different countries are collecting field data both on the Riiser-Larsen Ice Shelf and in its drainage basin. The research results will later be published and compiled to support dialogue with policymakers.
Meteorological analyses from the region indicate that climate is changing, but on-site observations are required to determine the extent of these developments. “There are indications from satellite data that snowfall is increasing, which may be a result of warmer air and ocean temperatures. But we still do not know how the ice sheet is responding, and therefore we cannot yet determine the rate at which sea levels will rise,” says Arjen Stroeven.
Snow-based data
Unlike the Arctic, in East Antarctica snow and ice have not yet begun to melt. This means that snow and ice cores preserve an annual archive, much like tree rings. If the Antarctic atmosphere has warmed, the researchers will be able to detect it. The research team is led by Ninis Rosqvist, professor of geography at Stockholm University.
We will return to sites drilled in the 1980s. If we drill deep enough to reach snow layers from the 1980s, our goal is to obtain at least fifty years of data to observe long-term trends (...) And for the first time we will be able to obtain results directly on-site, thanks to new equipment developed for Greenland by my Danish colleagues". says Ninis Rosqvist.
The team also conducts measurements using ground-penetrating radar, which can detect layers in the snow between drilling locations.
Building a complete picture of the ice sheet’s current state
Using satellite radar measurements, another research team can detect cracks in the glacier, especially when they contain meltwater. The measurements can also show whether the ice sheet is gaining or losing mass - that is, whether, in the aggregate, it is shrinking or growing overall.
“By measuring the distance between the satellite and the ice surface with an altimeter, we can determine the surface elevation of the ice,” says Ian Brown, associate professor in Earth observation at Stockholm University.
The method, called altimetry, uses an altimeter - an instrument that measures height above a reference level such as sea level. During an earlier expedition (2021/2022), Brown conducted preliminary work by measuring the microstructure of the snow and how it affects radar backscatter. With these field studies, the research team can build a complete picture of the ice sheet’s current state and reconstruct changes over the past 20 years.
Changes in the Riiser-Larsen Ice Shelf are to be used as an early indicator of melting in Antarctica. If the ice shelf reaches a tipping point and begins to break apart, the situation could become serious. That would tell us that the changes have come to Dronning Maud Land,” explains the professor.
The research expedition iQ2300 2025/2026 is the first of several expeditions to East Antarctica. The theme, East Antarctic Sea level rise contribution in 2300 (iQ2300), focuses on how the East Antarctic Ice Sheet responds to climate change and how these changes may influence global sea-level rise up to the year 2300.
The researchers combine field data, remote sensing, marine observations, and advanced ice and climate modelling. The goal is to reduce uncertainties in future sea-level projections and to identify thresholds in the ice system that could trigger rapid melting.
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