GLICE Greenland's Icebergs and their biogeochemical impacts

GLICE Cruise Report

Scientific Discipline: Biological Oceanography, Biogeochemistry, Physical Oceanography

Research Area: Disko Bay, West Greenland coastline

Research Vessel: RV Sanna

PI Name and Affiliation: Dr Mark Hopwood, Geomar Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany/ SUSTech Southern University of Science and Technology, China

Date: 10 - 24 August 2022

Citation from PI: EUROFLEETs+ has provided us with a fantastic opportunity to survey the Disko Bay area using the RV Sanna, a research platform run by an experienced Greenlandic crew which will allow us to access the world’s largest glacier outflow from the Ilulissat Ice Fjord. Our team of 6 scientists from GEOMAR (Germany), CNR-ISMAR (Italy), the University of Florida and San José State University (USA) will spend two weeks mapping the major freshwater plume that exists the glacier and flows into the Bay, determining it’s physical, biological and chemical effects on the marine system.

Cruise region with planned areas of interest.

Our research program will investigate the role of icebergs in the marine system focusing on coastal dynamics around one of the largest glaciers in the world, Jakobshavn Isbræ. Specifically, we will investigate (a) how iceberg melt affects the structure of the water column, (b) how iceberg age affects the chemical composition of ice, for example from the rapid loss of basal/sediment-rich ice and on-going photochemical processes and (c) how melt water from glaciers affects pelagic primary producers. We will utilize underway sensors to show, in high resolution, the fate of runoff from Greenland and a series of incubation experiments and water column profiles to assess the effects of melt water on primary producers and the marine carbon cycle.

GLICE Cruise region outlined as red box during August. Note the low temperature plume emerging from the Ice Fjord (red arrow) is evident across Disco Bay. Surface temperature data provided by the DMI. http://ocean.dmi.dk/arctic/disko.uk.php
Satellite images, combined with weather forecasts, will be used to adjust the cruise track to best suit local ice conditions. Here, the cruise route is planned for conditions observed in August 2019. Three red boxes indicate the key study regions