General scientific approach and major research ‘highlights’

During the 6 major expeditions between 2007 and 2009, atmospheric, biospheric, cryospheric and geospheric data were monitored and contributed to improve the knowledge of:

• natural climatic variations during one glacial cycle at the northwestern edge of the Barents ice sheet.
• dynamics of arctic ice sheets during the last glacial, in particular western Nordaustlandet
• mass status, mass transfer, the dynamic ice flow and calving processes of arctic ice caps and prognostics of the future of these ice caps, in particular Vestfonna

General scientific approach

• to provide a new site for monitoring of parameters indicative of global and environmental change.
• to fill the gap of a northern component in the Svalbard Archipelago and provide a southern link to efforts focused over the Arctic basin.
• to provide a base for the study of the full bandwidth of Polar Issues.
• to provide a nucleous for research over the scientific borders.
• to bring science on-line to schools and the public audience.

Major research ‘highlights’ of the Kinnvika project
( December 2009)

• Improved knowledge of natural climatic variations during one glacial cycle at the northwestern edge of the Barents ice sheet
• Improved knowledge of the dynamics of Arctic Ice Sheets during the last glacial, in particular western Nordaustlandet
• Improved knowledge of the mass status of the Northeastern Svalbard glacier systems, in particular Vestfonna
• Improved knowledge of the mass transfer of Arctic Ice Caps and prognostics of the future of these ice caps
• Improved knowledge of the dynamics of ice flow and calving processes of Arctic Ice Caps, in particular Vestfonna
• Improved knowledge of atmospheric transfer of chemical and physical constituents to the High Artcic
• Improved taxonometry of flora and fauna on Nordaustlandet
• Improved taxonometry of micro-organism communities on ice caps
• Improved knowledge of the Lower Palaeozoic geological succession in Nordaustlandet
• Improved geodetical, terrestrial and bathymetrical maps of Nordaustlandet
• Montoring data with Atmospheric, Biospheric, Cryospheric and Geospheric information between 2007 and 2009
• Increased public awareness of research in the High Arctic using different outreach channels
• Accelerated awareness to students and schools of research in the High Arctic from specially designed courses and information events

We engaged 69 persons from nine nations on our six different KINNVIKA expeditions (each spring and summer 2007-2009), totally spending 1305 man days in the Murchinson Bay area.

The Kinnvika project included 25 Working Packages;

• atmospheric studies (5);
• studies of biosphere (4);
• climatic and environmental archives (3);
• studies of the lithosphere (1);
• ice mass focused studies (3);
• landscape focused studies (1);
• society focused studies (1),
• systems focused study (1),
• outreach (3) and
• education (1).