SCANNET

Contact info

Sermilik Research Station
Department of Geography and Geology,
Geocenter Denmark
University of Copenhagen
DK 1350 Copenhagen K
Denmark
Phone (+45) 35 32 25 00
Station Director: Bjarne Holm Jakobsen
E-mail:
Webpage: www.geo.ku.dk

Location

The Sermilik Research Station is located at 65º 40’ N and 38º 10’W in South East Greenland about 20 km north of the small town Tasiilaq (Ammassalik). The station is situated at the coast in the Sermilik Fjord on the west side of the island Ammassalik adjacent to a local small ice cap, the Mittivakkat Glacier.

Climate

Tasiilaq - Climate data (1961-1990)

• Mean annual temperature: -1.7 ºC
• Mean temperature in January: -7.5 ºC
• Mean temperature in July: 6.4 ºC
• Mean annual precipitation: 984 mm
• Mean annual precipitation days: 120
• Mean annual sunshine hours: 1374

The environment in the SE sector of Greenland is low arctic maritime and presently experiencing pronounced changes. The regional temperatures, the cyclonic influence from lower latitudes and the impact of the Irminger Current are changing. The region is warming and consequently the Inland Ice and local glaciers are melting back. Increasing amounts of calving ice from Inland Ice outlet glaciers, among these the Helheim Glacier, are influencing the Sermilik Fjord.

Biodiversity

The vegetation of the area, situated in a low arctic coastal vegetation zone, demonstrates large flora diversity. It is dominated by dwarf shrub heaths, snow bed communities, and open fell-field communities. Fens, herb slopes and copses are present but are only found as smaller niches in the alpine dominated landscape.

Human Dimension

The town Tasiilaq, with its approx. 1700 inhabitants of a total population in East Greenland of about 3000, is located 20 km south of The Sermilik Research Station. Tasiilaq is the largest city in East Greenland, and the city is scenically located on the Ammassalik Island at the outer coast in a local fjord surrounded by high mountains. A small river flows through the city. The Ammassalik Island and valleys behind the town have a unique flora and is a popular place for hiking. Only about 100 years ago, the first Europeans came to the area, and the traditional Inuit culture still has a major role in daily life. But Tasiilaq is also a modern community, and the Internet and mobile phones have reached Tasiilaq. Fishing, hunting, service industries and tourism dominate. In 2004 a water power plant was constructed and put to use. 1,2 MW are produces, covering most of the electricity needed in the town.

Species Performance

Data on plant and lichen performance exist, including the application of lichenometri in dating of glacial deposits.

General Research

The station supports a comprehensive year-round monitoring programme covering basic climatology and local climate gradients in the Mittivakkat Glacier drainage basin, glacier mass balance, run off and sediment transport and the development of coastal and delta geomorphology. Based on monitoring data from the Mittivakkat glaciated catchment back from the early 1990th models have been developed to test future scenarios and present hind casts and forecasts of response to climate change. The emphasis of research project is on the control of climate on landscape processes, on different elements of energy and water balances, hydrology and sediment transport and on proglacial weathering. Furthermore geomorphology, polysequent soil profiles, niveo aeolian sediments, and sedimentary archives from lakes, polysequent soils and sediments form fluvial, estuarine and near coastal environments are studied to elucidate the Holocene climate, vegetation dynamics and environmental history, focussing on the late Holocene, the period after the culmination of The Little Ice Age and on present Global Change.

Existing Data Bases

Data are available on request from:

Three climate stations: at the glacier equilibrium line (515 m.a.s.l. established in 1994)), at the coast (established in 1998) and at about 200 m.a.s.l. (established in 2009), comprising data on Si, temperature, RH, wind (direction and speed) and precipitation.

River stations: established in the mid 1990th in the proglacial valley, close to the glacier front and at the river mouth, comprising data on stage, discharge, temperature, conductivity and suspended sediment concentration.

Glacier mass balance measurements and glacier surveys carried out since the mid 1980th .

Delta surveys carried out since 1989.

Maps, digital 3D terrain models, satellite data and aerial photography.

Furthermore a bibliography is available, of publications arising from research at The Sermilik Research Station.

History and Facilities

The Sermilik Research Station is owned by the Department of Geography and Geology, University of Copenhagen. During an expedition in 1933 led by the famous polar researcher Knud Rasmussen the first surveys of glaciers and geomorphology were carried on Ammassalik Island and at the Mittivakkat Glacier. Because of this mapping, the Mittivakkat Glacier catchment was chosen as one of the Danish research sites during the International Geophysical Year in 1957-1958. At that time the glacier terminus had retreated 0,6 km. since 1933. In 1970 a permanent field station, The Sermilik Research Station, was established, to provide a logistic base for the ongoing glaciological, hydrological and geomorphological investigations of the Mittivakkat Glacier and its catchment. In 1990 an “Arctic Physical Geographical Research Group” was formed at the Department of Geography and a comprehensive “Arctic System Science Research and Monitoring Project” was planned, leading to the establishment of automated climate and river measuring stations in the catchment. After 2000, datasets from The Sermilik Research Station have been used in modelling, distributing and simulating climate, snow cover, snow and glacier melt, run off and sediment transport in the Mittivakkat Glacier catchment. Models have further been used to forecast the effect of global warming using IPCC and HIRHAM predicted scenarios.

The Sermilik Research station can be used year-round. However the climate and the logistic constraints during the winter months makes the summer period June –September the obvious high season for field research. The fjord adjacent to the station is ice covered during December-May. The main building is an insulated wooden house of 60 m2 with three rooms for scientists, a dining room, a living room, a kitchen, a toilet and a storage room. A second, nonisolated building of 50 m2 holds workshop, equipment, generator, a zodiac rubber boat as well as optional accommodation for four persons in a separate room. A small separate building holds fuel storage and additional equipment. An annex facility (a 6 m2 wooden building) is situated on a small nunatak at the equilibrium line of the Mittivakkat Glacier 515 m.a.s.l. The annex supports the monitoring activities on the glacier and can be used for accommodation during field work. The station buildings allow the accommodation of 6-10 researchers. During student summer field courses a tent camp is established at the station.

Transportation

The Sermilik Research station is reached by commercial air carrier to Island, from there by Greenland Air or charter to Kulusuk Airport, close to the Town of Tasiilaq, and by helicopter to Tasiilaq. From Tasiilaq to the station boat or helicopter charter is recommended depending on weather, snow or ice conditions and amount of luggage/cargo. It is possible to reach the station by foot (15-20 km). Booking of favourable flight tickets is recommended ½ year in advance and travel time to the station will be 1-2 days from Copenhagen normally with a stop-over in Iceland. One day is normally spent in Tasiilaq before and after each visit to the station, to handle cargo, food and fuel. Hotel accommodation or rented rooms are available in Tasiilaq.