Chairmans Welcome Professor Bo Elberling Compared to other years, the summer of 2018 was cold and wet in Greenland. While summer temperatures in Europe were higher than for decades, summer temperatures at Arctic Station were in general low. Despite the weather, the year 2018 has been a very succesfull year. Arctic Station monitoring program has now been an integrated part of the Greenland Ecosystem Monitoring program (GEM) for two years. The DiskoBasis monitoring program has been funded by the University of Copenhagen since 1991 and co-funded by the Danish Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate since 2012. I like to thank all the involved people for the efforts put into this monitoring program. As in previous years, this annual report provides an overview of data being collected. Much of the research at the station is truly multi-disciplinary. I would like to highlight one investigation in 2018; a study about how permafrost thaw can lead to a potential production and release of climate-relevant gases. Based on samples collected near Arctic Station, Kramshøj et al. (2018) shows in Nature Communications that microorganisms in thawing permafrost play an important role in the production of a high amount and diversity of VOCs (volatile organic compounds). The study demonstrates for the first time that substantial amounts of ethanol and methanol and more than 300 other organic compounds can be produced and released from thawing permafrost. Even more surprisingly, VOCs from thawing permafrost may not be released to the atmosphere, as the results also show that unfrozen soil layers above the permafrost zone can consume the VOCs as fast as VOCs are released from the thawing permafrost. There are many other surprising and interesting conclusions based on work at Arctic Station from papers published in 2018. Please see page 26 for a complete list of papers. Photo: Advanced Analytical Chemistry - Arctic Pollution Research 2018 (Field course) Many new projects have been initiated in 2018. An example is a new collaborationship between Arctic Station and Center for Permafrost and the Centre for Ice and Climate at the University of Copenhagen. This group initiated an ice-coring campaign during Easter 2018. This is an example of a multi-discilinary approach which focusses on regional climate signals in local ice caps near Arctic Station. The collaboration was intergrated with a field school on safety working and drilling on ice during winter in the Arctic. Such initiatives are only possible because the station is open yearround. Many thanks to Akaaraq Mølgaard for help and advice during this winter course and drilling event. This annual report summarizes all major activities reported and I am pleased and happy to note the variability of projects. The station has been fully occupied most of the summer in 2018. Arctic Station is staffed year-round with a scientific leader, a technical leader and a captain of R / V Porsild. I am impressed by the enthusiasm and would like to acknowledge the excellent and hard work from our colleagues in Qeqertarsuaq. Morten Rasch took over the position as the scientific leader after Regin Rønn in 2018. With a solid background in arctic logistics and infrastructure, Morten initiated several projects aiming at improving future guests' use of the station. The year 2018 was also the year when plans for a major renovation of the station in 2020 have been seriously pushed ahead. Finally, I would like to thank the entire board for a very fruitful collaboration in 2018 and warm thanks to Gitte Henriksen for a very competent administration of the station. Enjoy reading Bo Elberling A n n u a l R e p o r t 2018 5 university of copenhagen facu lt y of sci e nc e A RC T I C STAT I ON Ann ual Repor t 2 018 2 A R C T I C S TAT I O N ARCTIC STATION Annual Report 2018 CONTENTS Chairmans welcome ............................................................ 5 Monitoring at Arctic Station ........ .......................................... 6 Research projects ........................ ......................................... 17 Educa 4 Chairmans Welcome Professor Bo Elberling Compared to other years, the summer of 2018 was cold and wet in Greenland. While summer temperatures in Europe were higher than for decades, summer temperatures at Arctic Station were in general low. Despite the weather, the year 2018 has been a very succes Monitoring at Arctic Station Charlotte Sigsgaard, Regin Rønn, Michele Citterio, Jakob Abermann, Per Juel Hansen, Kirsty Langly, Kirsten S. Christoffersen, Sille Myreng, Daniel Binder, Laura Helene Rasmussen, Morten Rasch, Aart Kroon, Dorthe Krause-Jensen, Birgit Olesen, Thomas Friborg and Bo Elberli 15 10 10 Temperature (oC) Temperature (oC) 5 0 -5 -10 -15 Summer (J, J, A) Winter/coldest months (J, F, M) Mean annual air temperature -20 -25 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 Figure 2. Annual mean air temperatures at Arctic Station from 1992 to 2018 and mean air temperatures for 31-J an 2-Mar 1-Apr 1-May 31-May 30-J un 30-J ul 29-Aug 28-S ep 28-Oct 27-Nov 27-Dec 2018 1040 1000 960 60 0 40 -10 20 -30 0 Wind speed (m s -1) -20 Rain (mm) 80 10 Temperature (C) Air pressure (mbar) 1-J an 16 12 8 4 0 Wind dir () 300 200 100 S now depth (m) 0 0.8 40 0 Sep Precipitation (mm) 350 Aug Jul Jun May 30 0 250 20 0 150 10 0 50 19 91 19 92 19 93 19 94 19 95 19 96 19 97 19 98 19 99 20 00 20 01 20 02 20 03 20 04 20 05 20 06 20 07 20 08 20 09 20 10 20 11 20 12 20 13 20 14 20 15 20 16 20 17 20 18 0 Figure 5. Stacked monthly values of rain from Figure 7. Water started to run in the snow covered river bed on 6 June. Several fows with a mixture of water, snow and ice occurred during the day. Photos: Charlotte Sigsgaard and Laura L. Frendrup. Marine monitoring Marine monitoring has been periodically carried out at Arc tic Station since 1924. Figure 9. About 60-70 mm of rain on the 3 August 2018 caused overland fow and high discharge and high content of suspended sediment in the river. Photo: Elisabeth L. Kolstad. there is of ten a layer of cold water at 50 -10 0 m with temperatures as low as -1.6 C sandwiched bet ween the warmer sur fa Macroalgae monitoring 8 7 10 m 50 m 200 m The Greenland Ecosystem Monitoring program (GEM) on marine vegetation in the Disko Bay was initiated in the summer of 2018. The program includes studies of tidal and subtidal macroalgae along the shores of Disko Island and Kronprinsens Ejland as specified Figure 13. Overview, based on drone images, of Fortuna Bay with the tidal vegetation forming a fringe along the shoreline visible as a light brown contour at low tide. Drone operated by Dorte KrauseJensen and Birgit Olesen and drone images analysed and processed by Michael Bo Rasmussen. Growth of s 14 Chlorophyll (ug l-1) 12 Danish Meteorological Institute (DM I) which will pro vide data for in-situ validation data for DM Is remote sensing produc t s. The first complete dataset will be downloaded in 2019. Data received via satellite link already shows seasonal variabilit y in the temperatur Figure 18. Two moulins on Chamberlin Glacier found in August 2018 (left) and the entrance of one of the moulins which in August 2018 appeared safe to descend. Photos: Michele Citterio. Influence of cloud cover in surface energy balance in Arctic environments Sur face air temperatures in the Arctic enhance snow and glacier melt is still poorly known, not the least in Greenland. While some authors claim clouds enhance melt water runof f others claim that decreasing cloud cover drives the recent mass loss on the Greenland ice sheet. Despite their crucial impor tance for understanding Arc tic cli Research Projects Development of methodology for evaluating chemicals discarded in high Arctic waters Kim Gustavson, Eva Friis Møller, Mette Dalgaard, DCE, Department of Bioscience Aarhus University, Denmark The overall aim of the project was to strengthen the basis for evaluation and regulation of Baleen whale. Photo: Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen. Qimmeq Anders J. Hansen, Tom Gilbert, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Nobuyuki Yamaguchi, Qatar University, Quatar, Siz Madsen, Denmark The Qimmeq Project consists of several components including, sled dog genetics, culture history, film- and phot Greenlandic Perspectives Survey (GPS) AMAP - collection of ring seal samples Kelton Minor, University of Copenhagen, Kraks Fond Institute for Urban Economic Research, Denmark, Ulunnguaq Markussen, University of Greenland, Greenland, Hans Peter Mønsted, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark Sign CENPERM activities Per Ambus, Anders Michelsen, Laura Helene Rasmussen, Laura Bjørnholt Larsen, Emily Pickering Pedersen, Ludovica D'Imperio, Andreas Westergaard-Nielsen, Trevor James Popp, Steffen Bo Hansen, Sune Olander Rasmussen, Bo Elberling, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Peter Convey, Brit A n n u a l R e p o r t 2018 21 Preparing samples in the laboratory . Photo: Advanced Analytical Chemistry - Arctic Pollution Chemistry 2018 (Field course) Photo Kent Pørksen 22 Education CHESS PhD school: Arctic Glacier Field Course Alexios Theofilopoulos, Andreas Alexander, Anais Bretones, Andreas Plach, Calvin Shackleton, Ida Margrete Ringgaard, Jacob Morgan, Jonathan Rheinlander, Karita Kajanto, Lis Allaar t, Margaret Lindeman, Maya Becker, Mor ven Muilwijk, Nicholas Ra Field trip North Greenlands High School GUX Asiaat Photo: Advanced Analytical Chemistry -Arctic Pollution Research 2018 (Field course). All projec ts included numerous sampling trips in the field (open water and coast line) followed by analyses in dif ferent designated labs at the Arc tic Station based monitoring projec t focusing on the conditions of the living resources based on input from local fishers and hunters. Visiting period: 5 December, 2 days. Climate Change in Greenland Niels Vinther, Egedal Gymnasium, A sger Vinther Michelsen, Kenneth Sorento, Mediehuset København Denmark Visit Publications Scientific papers 2018 A lb e r s C. N ., K ra m s h ø j M ., R inna n R . (2018). R a p i d min e ra liz at i o n of b i o g e ni c vo lat il e o rg a ni c co m p o un d s in te m p e rate a n d A rc t i c s o ils . B i o g e o s ci e n ce s 15, 3591-3 6 01. D O I :10.519 4 / b g -15 - Reports 2018 K a li t a, S . N ., Wo hlra b, S ., Ku e hn e, N . a n d J o hn, U., A l fre d - We g e n e r- I ns t i tu te (2018): Tra ns c r ipto m e ana l y s is of sing l e ce lls: a p la nk to n cha ra c te r iz at i o n of A rc t i c wate r s , 2n d A nnua l M e e t ing of D F G -S P P 19 91 T Members of the board Professor Anders Michelsen Depar tment of Biology Phone: + 45 2339 8286 E-mail: andersm@bio.ku.dk Professor Bo Elberling (Chairman) Depar tment of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management Phone: + 45 3532 2520 E-mail: be@ign.ku.dk A ssociate Professor Nina Lundholm Natural A n n u a l R e p o r t 2018 29 Title Arc tic Station Annual Repor t 2018 Publisher Board of the Arc tic Station, Univer sit y of Copenhagen, Denmark Editor A ar t Kroon and Charlot te Sigsgaard L ayout and graphic s Kent Pørk sen, Depar tment of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management Internet ver sion ark tisk station.ku.dk