This week-long Study Tour to Greenland brings us to the unique ecosystem of the Arctic region and face to face with the massive Greenland ice sheet. From our home base in Kangerlussuaq, we will journey out to study the ice sheet first-hand, bringing together a combination of glaciology, arctic biology, and geomorphology to better understand the short and long term climatic and environmental changes in Greenland. Through visits to both the Greenlandic ice sheet and a land-terminating glacier, you will learn to identify physical markers of climate change.
You will also learn about early cultures of the area, the settlement history of Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat in Greenlandic), and the important role it plays today in contemporary arctic geopolitics. It will be summer in the Arctic, meaning you will experience the endless days of the midnight sun, and you have the chance to discover the magnificent flora and fauna that make their home in Greenland’s unique landscapes.
Tour Objectives
- Explore past climate change to contextualize current and projected climate change
- Gain an understanding of the methods applied in paleoclimatology, including different indirect measurements (proxies) and dating methods
- Understand the basis for climate projections and the source of some of the main uncertainties
Possible Activities
- Take an all-day excursion to the Greenland ice cap and participate in a tundra safari
- Visit the land-terminating Russell Glacier, and see its vast outwash plains
- Enjoy Kaffemik and have a coffee get-together with a local family
- Soak in a full 24 hours of light with the midnight sun
- Get a taste of Greenland, sampling a selection of delicious local food from a view overlooking the beautiful Lake Tasersuatsiaq (Lake Ferguson)