European Geosciences Union
Division on Cryospheric Sciences
President: Carleen Tijm-Reijmer
(cr@egu.eu)
Deputy President: Nanna B. Karlsson
(nbk@geus.dk)
The cryosphere are those parts of the Earth and other planetary bodies that are subject to prolonged periods of temperatures below the freezing point of water. These include glaciers, frozen ground, sea ice, snow and ice. One of the main aims of the EGU Division on Cryospheric Sciences (CR) is to facilitate the exchange of information within the science community. It does so by organising series of sessions at the annual EGU General Assembly, and through the publishing of the open-access journal The Cryosphere. The division awards the Julia and Johannes Weertman medal for outstanding contributions to the science of the cryosphere.
The 2023 Julia and Johannes Weertman Medal is awarded to Etienne Berthier for outstanding scientific achievements in regional and global glacier mass change and remote sensing, and for immense service to the global cryospheric community.
The 2023 Arne Richter Award for Outstanding Early Career Scientists is awarded to Harry Zekollari for outstanding research in the field of mass balance and glacier evolution modelling, and for his service to the cryosphere community.
The 2022 Julia and Johannes Weertman Medal is awarded to Regine Hock for outstanding scientific achievements on the study of glacier mass balance and immense service to the global cryospheric community.
The 2022 Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award is awarded to Romain Millan for contributions to cryospheric sciences through the development of new methods to map ocean and subglacial topography, and methods to quantify dynamic changes in flowing ice.
The 2022 Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award is awarded to Bastien Ruols Drone-based GPR system for 4D glacier data acquisition
The 2022 Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award is awarded to Johanna Klahold Diffraction imaging of alpine glacier GPR data
The 2022 Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award is awarded to Michelle Maclennan Climatology and Surface Impacts of Atmospheric Rivers on West Antarctica
Lately permafrost makes the news more and more because of its enormous carbon stocks and its vulnerability to climate change. While permafrost greenhouse gas budget calculations are complex and harbour an ever-growing research community, its microbial ecology is still on the rise. A recent star are tiny roundworms that survived frozen in permafrost for 46’000 years. Take a short dip into this new and exciting research by Shatilovich and colleagues. You might have read our last blog post on permafrost …
Since several decades, there’s a lot of discussion in the permafrost ecosystem community on “rewilding” and “return to a natural state” in order to protect ecosystems and to reduce the impacts of climate change. Reindeer and other herbivores influence the insulation regime of the ground and could thereby preserve the frozen state of permafrost ground. Is there a way to utilise this effect to our benefit, and make wild animals the “ecosystem engineers” of the Arctic? How are wild animals …
Arctic fieldwork is a meticulous dance with the ever-fickle weather, where nature’s temperament can determine the course of scientific endeavors. Rain or fog can swiftly put a halt to even the most well-laid plans. This holds true for Greenland, where proximity to the ice cap doesn’t shield researchers from the capriciousness of the climate. In August 2023, the Deep Purple ERC Project embarked on a two-week long mission to the remote 79°N in Qaanaaq, Greenland. Our mission: to unravel the …
Even as regular readers of the Cryosphere Blog , you might still be unfamiliar with the large amount of regulation that surrounds the cryosphere – and the research that’s being done on it. As effective regulation of our environment is needed, we need more scientists to understand the law and more lawyers to understand the science. So, brace yourselves and hold on tight, while we run through one of the newest instruments of Arctic Governance: the Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries …
In a first-of-its kind analysis of the Antarctic ice sheet, researchers Ronja Reese and Emily Hill break down their ice loss study and reveal a small window of hope; while dendrochonrologist Nazimul Islam tells us how tree rings act as one of the finest proxies for studying past climate, hydrology, archaeology and more.
Meanwhile, EGU Policy Manager Chloe Hill dissects the Science Europe publication, Science–Policy in Action: Insights for the Green and Digital Transition, and its relation to climate change, biodiversity loss and digital technologies. And EGU’s Media Survey reveals that despite willingness to speak to the media, journalists say scientists often do not follow through, fearing their science will be misrepresented. If you are a scientist or researcher yourself, do you agree with this? Let us know at media@egu.eu
And don’t forget to stay up-to-date with information on our next General Assembly EGU24. Subscribe to receive important updates in your inbox at the beginning of each month!