The research expedition is a collaboration between several organizations and nations. Alongside the SPRS team, there are three American researchers from the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping working on geophysical and iceberg mapping, and two buoy systems were deployed for research through the International Cooperative Engagement Program for Polar Research. There has also been transit help from the Swedish Armed Forces, and Air Force meteorologists have worked as air traffic controllers aboard the ship for helicopter flights that allow researchers to access field locations.
Preparations for the months-long expedition, aptly named “North of Greenland 2024,” began in June 2024. The icebreaker Oden left Helsingborg July 18 to arrive and commence the official expedition in Greenland August 5.
The subjects being studied during the expedition range from glacier and ice research to collecting DNA samples that will show historical ecosystem changes in terrestrial areas. Researchers have noted the northern-most spotted narwhal, collected DNA of Greenland muskox, mapped seabeds of previously uncharted areas, gathered driftwood for isotope analysis, and taken sediment and water samples.
In regards to the Victoria and Nordenskjöld fjords, Martin Jakobsson, Co-Chief Scientist and Professor at Stockholm University wrote, “In all, we have swept across the area and captured a huge amount of data that will help us understand this remote fjord.”
Some of the data collected is intended to be used to unveil the reason behind the 2002 collapse of the C.H. Ostenfeld Glacier’s ice tongue, while other research could help unveil how the North Greenland Ice Sheet will contribute to global sea-level rise.
The research in North of Greenland 2024 is financed by the Swedish Research Council, Formas, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
More information about the expedition and its researchers can be found through the Expedition Blog, and the location and ongoing path of Oden can be tracked through an online map.