On January 10, Katarina Gårdfeldt, Director-General at the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, met with Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Yōko Kamikawa, about future collaborations in polar research. Japan's Ambassador to Sweden, Masaki Noke, and polar researchers Martin Jakobsson, Stockholm University and Dag Avango, Luleå University of Technology attended the meeting.
A government investigation ongoing in 2024–2025 will determine the measures and collaborations needed for Sweden to acquire and operate a modern polar research vessel designed for climate-neutral operation.
During this year's Antarctic expedition DML 2023/24, which the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat organises, a project is participating where the researchers seek to answer how Antarctica will develop in a future with a warmer climate. Part of the answer lies in the bedrock and erratics deposited by the ice sheet.
An expedition that was characterized by excellent cooperation, curious polar bears, tough ice conditions and extensive collection of valuable data. Chief Scientist Michael Tjernström sums up the Oden expedition ARTofMELT, carried out in the Arctic Ocean during May and June this year.
During the summer of 2023, Andreas Johnsson, a geomorphologist at the University of Gothenburg, visited Svalbard. The goal was to study similarities with Mars's landscape and how the island group is affected by global warming. Andreas Johnsson has conducted field studies in the area 13 times, and it is time for new measurements next year.
The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat is one of the participants in the SWERVE project, which received a three-year infrastructure grant from the Swedish Research Council. The grant will be used to improve the conditions for Swedish ship-based marine research, among other things by promoting cooperation between different actors.
Autumn's beautiful colours have faded, and the cold is settling over Abisko. This necessitates specific preparations to ensure that the measurements within SITES Water can continue when winter arrives.
Sonja Gindorf, PhD student at the Department of Environmental Sciences (ACES) at Stockholm University, just finished the Arctic Ocean Research Cruise 2023 with RV Kronpins Haakon. She was one of two Swedish researchers selected through an open call by the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat.
