Forensic investigator changes of glaciers

“In this picture, I visit Steindalsbreen, a glacier in the Lyngen Alps, east of Tromsø in Norway, where I was based. Glecier withdrew drastically: it was demolished in the middle, it was destroyed around its margins, and the language melted in the growing ice lake behind me.

The glaciers are powerful erosion agents. While flowing, they grind the rock below them, creating a hollow area filled with water to form lakes as the glaciers retreat. This is common in regions such as Norway, where the substrate is heavy.

I am interested in the water of the glade of the glaciers: it often contains useful chemical elements or nutrients, either dissolved in water or bind to small particles, but sometimes carries toxic metals, depending on the type of rock on which the glacier sits. I see myself as an expert on glaciers, revealing what happened under the glaciers, like a crime explorement.

I manage the Center for LED, Kriosphere, Carbon and Climate – Center of Excellence in Tromas, which is funded by the Norwegian Research Council.