POLAR2E Newsletter 7 | Autumn 2022

Two projects led by POLAR2E team members funded in the last call of the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

The projects THAW-IMPACT - Antarctic Peninsula permafrost under a changing climate: sensitivity, fate and impacts, led by Gonçalo Vieira (PI, CEG/IGOT) and João Canário (CQE/IST, Co-PI), and the project "Origin of life: from hydrothermal vents to protocells” lead by Zita Martins (PI, CQE/IST) and Sean Jordan (CQE/IST, Co-PI)  were fully funded at the national call for proposals of the FCT. Both projects will start in 2023 with funding granted for 3 years and have a number of opportunities for early career researchers associated with them.

POLAR2E researcher at the European Astronomical Society Annual Meeting, Valencia, Spain

POLAR2E researcher Zita Martins was present at the European Astronomical Society Annual Meeting held in Valencia, Spain. She participated in the plenary session entitled “Recent achievements in the exploration of the solar system”.  

POLAR2E members participated in the PerCS-Net Arctic Coastal Network Retreat

Poster from POLAR2E researchers at MARE (FCUL) is distinguished with an Honorable Mention at the 2022 Mirpuri Foundation Ocean Award

EU-PolarNet 2 General Assembly took place in Sofia in September

The third EU-PolarNet 2 General Assembly and mid-term retreat were held in Sofia, Bulgaria from 13 to 15 September 2022. The meeting was hosted by the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute and had an attendance of more than 50 participants from the project, EU Polar Cluster, and representatives from the Advisory Board and Policy Advisory Board of the project. IGOT as a partner of the EU-PolarNet 2 project with activities on the WP1 – Research Coordination and WP5 – Policy Advice, Dissemination, and Communication was represented at the event by Teresa Cabrita and Joana Baptista.

POLAR2E Serra da Estrela Working Group met in October

The second meeting of the Serra da Estrela Working Group took place on October 27th. This meeting aimed to present the main objectives achieved in the Cost Action Training school, which was held in Manteigas from 4-7 of July, entitled "Pan-European Network for Climate Adaptative Forest Restoration and Reforestation: Tracking the Socio-ecology of Southwestern European Mountain Forests: from the Field to the Space, from the Present into the Future", which was attended by several experts in the area, the Geopark technical team and Forestry stakeholders, for the preparation of practical classes and excursions in the field. The Training Schools were organized by António Monteiro and counted with the participation of Inês Mendes, both from CEG/IGOT and the POLAR2E.
Information regarding the research station at Lagoa Comprida was also updated, with the promise of a future meeting of the group at this location, a retreat to discuss new projects related to the Estrela range.
The Serra Estrela Working Group is open to all POLAR2E members interested in the Serra da Estrela and in discussing ongoing research and project planning. It will also serve as a connection and dissemination of proposed or ongoing work. More constant periodic meetings will be held, if you are interested in being part of the group, please contact the coordinator (Inês Mendes - inesmendes2@campus.ul.pt).

Preparation of Portuguese Antarctic campaign 2022-23 is underway

The preparation of the Portuguese Antarctic campaign 2022-23 is already underway. Last week, Portugal participated on the Gateway/Regional Update Sessions, organized by the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Program (COMNAP), which provided important updates and opportunity for information exchange on the start of the Antarctic season, crucial for the planning of the Portuguese campaign. Portugal will be using Argentinean and Chilean gateways, so the information gathered on the current circumstances at each gateway, and on solutions to challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic still impacting the Antarctic campaigns was fundamental to the organization of the missions of the Portuguese researchers.

1st Progress meeting of PERMAMERC at CQE/IST on the 4th of November

The 1st progress meeting of the project PERMAMERC (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, FCT) took place at IST on the 4th of November 2022. Almost 30 people attended the meeting (not all in the photo), half of them being Master and PhD students. Besides team members from the IST, CEG/IGOT and CIIMAR/UP, the meeting included project participants from Canada, both in person and online. The team had great scientific discussions on mercury dynamics in permafrost thaw systems, covering remote sensing to microbiology and chemistry. Next, the meeting will be in Porto following another year of field and laboratory work in the Arctic.

Glacial and periglacial session and field trip at the International Conference on Geomorphology led by CEG/IGOT.

The 10th International Conference on Geomorphology was held at the University of Coimbra from 12 to 16 June 2022. The session on Glacial and Periglacial Geomorphology, chaired by G. Vieira, B. Woronko, J. Rabassa and G. Wiles was one of the largest of the conference and counted with 54 communications, taking place during the last two days of the event. A special issue in the journal Geomorphology is currently under preparation. 
Following the conference, Gonçalo Vieira and João Carlos Nunes, together with an Estrela UNESCO Global Geopark team, led a 3-day field trip to the Serra da Estrela, which counted 21 international participants.

PERMAMERC: Mercury Biogeochemistry, Fate and Impact in Permafrost Thaw Ecosystems

The recent increase in the global surface air temperature is having its greatest impact in the Arctic, and among other direct consequences, permafrost thaw is of urgent concern. Permafrost soils have historically been considered a barrier to the movement of pollutants however, the warming Arctic may lead to increased mobility of contaminants that were previously locked in the permafrost. Many contaminant studies in the Arctic have been focused on other environmental compartments rather than permafrost. In fact, besides the estimation of the contaminant pool, only recently has special attention been directed to the study of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants in permafrost environments. This issue is of special concern for mercury (Hg). It has been recently estimated that the Northern Hemisphere permafrost regions contain 1656 Gg of Hg, which is twice the amount present in the ocean, atmosphere and soils combined, a disturbing situation that indicates the urgent need for further studies to better understand the consequences and impacts of this huge mercury pool in the likely scenario of rapid thawing.

Mercury has several different environmental forms, with methylmercury (MMHg) as the most Hg toxic. This Hg compound is a neurotoxin that may bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms and bio-magnify in the food web to concentrations which result in adverse effects for humans and wildlife. Mercury is known to become methylated in sediments, water and periphyton and this process is related to the activity of Hg methylating bacteria and other abiotic factors. Other processes such as photochemistry and adsorption/desorption influence not only Hg methylation/demethylation, but also its atmospheric and hydrological transport, and consequently its impact on the environment.

The relatively few Hg-published permafrost studies have shown that Hg methylation in permafrost soils increases with increasing temperatures, and that permafrost thaw lakes provide the perfect environmental conditions for biotic Hg methylation by bacteria. Notably, a study showed that in permafrost thaw lakes from northern Quebec, (Canada) MMHg concentrations in the water column were considerably higher than in other freshwater aquatic systems. More recently it was found that permafrost thaw dominates mercury emissions from Tibetan thermokarst ponds, addressing another important issue related to the impact of permafrost degradation in the Hg cycle.

However, despite these findings, many questions remain open, such as: what the rates of Hg methylation and MMHg demethylation in permafrost thaw environments, and what is the impact of permafrost thaw not only in the regional and global Hg cycle but also on the arctic wildlife and northern human communities.

PERMAMERC is an FCT-funded project that intends to contribute to the much-needed information for understanding the Hg cycle in permafrost thaw systems: from Hg methylation processes to gas exchange in permafrost thaw surface waters, and the key photochemical and microbiological processes involved. PERMAMERC will also contribute towards understanding the importance of permafrost thaw in the global Hg cycle and will provide scientific-based knowledge related to impacts on Arctic ecology, ecosystem services and human health.

PERMAMERC has a large research team involving IST and IGOT from the University of Lisbon, CIIMAR from Porto, Laval, Trent and INRS Universities in Canada, AWI in Germany and Trieste University in Italy.

Zita Martins was interviewed by Diário de Notícias and Holofote

Prof. Zita Martins gave an interview for Diário de Notícias and for the Holofote radio program from RTP Internacional about her astrobiology career and talks about the new Comet Interceptor mission by the European Space Agency. She highlights the importance of this flexible mission for discovering more about comets and the solar system in general, especially where ice can be obtained and analyzed. Prof. Zita Martins focuses on the state-of-the-art novelty of the Comet Interceptor mission compared to previous missions and spacecraft that is related to its ability to perform targeted spacial missions in different comets, planets and moons and answer specific scientific questions throughout the process.

POLAR2E meets the Climate Wanderers in their walk across Europe

The Wanderers of Changing Worlds lead the Climate Walk project which aims to combine research concerning regional experiences of climate change, through walking across Europe, listening and connecting local perspectives to construct a holistic, people-centric understanding of these complex phenomena. Two groups are walking across Europe, one group started in Cabo da Roca and the other group started on North Cape (Norway), seeking to converge in Vienna. 
POLAR2E ECR Bernardo Costa met the Climate Wanderers in Lisbon on 3 September 2022 to get better acquainted with the project, experience one climate walking method and discuss environmental problems in Portugal and how they relate to arctic coastal studies. Later, on the 20th of September, both wanderers participated in the Serra da Estrela field trip of the International Conference on Geomorphology, walking with the participants for a full day and discussing problems related to climate change. 
The Climate Walk project consists of 5 interconnected dimensions: (1) Walk; (2) Listen; (3) Talk; (4) Create; (5) ConnAct. Further information is displayed on their website and on their youtube channel. You can also follow their journey here and help them with your knowledge and experiences by filling out this survey.

PERMAMERC - Mercury Biogeochemistry, Fate and Impact in Permafrost Thaw Ecosystems

CQE/IST and CEG/IGOT teams were in the Canadian Subarctic to conduct fieldwork under the FCT-funded project PERMAMERC. This was the second field season as part of the project, the first being last March. The first site was close to Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik in the Hudson Bay region, with the teams staying at the Centre d’Études Nordiques (CEN) Research Station, within the framework of the MoU with POLAR2E. The CQE/IST team collected sediment and water samples in two thermokarst lakes in the SAS river valley, an area of sporadic permafrost that is rapidly thawing. The aim is to understand the mercury cycle in these ecosystems and the seasonal differences between winter and summer. Furthermore, mercury isotopes will be used to obtain information about the impact of these lakes on the surrounding environment.

The other study area of PERMAMERC is located further northeast, in the Ungava Bay region, at Kangiqsualujjuaq, where CEN has another research station. The CEG/IGOT team’s mission was to do a first field reconnaissance and to conduct new surveys geomorphic, vegetation and pond surveys, which will provide the basis for the next field visits to the area by the CQE/IST team. To achieve that, drone surveys were made, using optical and multispectral cameras, to characterize the spectral properties of vegetation and water bodies, as well as to perform geomorphological mapping. The different vegetation communities of the area were identified and spectral signatures were collected. Water physico-chemical properties were analysed in situ in supra-morenic and thermokarst lakes with a multiparametric probe. In addition, water samples were collected, and the Fe II concentrations in the water were analysed.

Next winter, the CQE/IST team is going to visit Kangiqsualujjuaq and collect more data about this new and exciting study area!

THAWPOND - Remote sensing analysis of vegetation and thaw pond colour dynamics in the discontinuous permafrost zone: from local to regional (Umiujaq, Hudson Bay, sub-Arctic Canada)

Between the 12th and 27th of August 2022, the CEG/IGOT-ULisboa team (Pedro Freitas and Diana Martins), under the PROPOLAR/FCT-funded Project THAWPOND, were in Subarctic Canada for fieldwork, more specifically in Kuujjuarapik-Whapmagoostui and Umiujaq. Those two Inuit communities are settled in the sporadic and discontinuous permafrost zones, in the transition between boreal forest and tundra. There, the permafrost is rich in organic matter, leading to a high potential for greenhouse gas emissions when thawing. 

In the context of an ever-changing planet, linked with an uprise in global temperatures, especially in the Arctic and Subarctic, those are areas where all the knowledge and help are needed. As permafrost is thawing rapidly, lakes and ponds forming are very dynamic and poorly understood biogeochemical hotspots for GHG emissions. This phenomenon is a significant positive feedback mechanism for global warming. However, we do not know how many thaw lakes exist, where they are and how they are changing in the Arctic and Subarctic landscapes. These are important questions that the CEG/IGOT – ULisboa team is targeting under THAWPOND. As a result, the main objective of these field campaigns was to characterize the biogeochemical variability of thermokarst lakes and understand the factors that control such variabilities, linked to soil conditions, catchment vegetation communities, and geomorphological features. The first stage of the field season was at the Kuujjuarapik-Whapmagoostui CEN station, with fieldwork conducted in two distinct wetlands: SAS and KWAK. These areas differ in terms of vegetation cover and the geomorphology that originated the lakes, KWAK being a very high and dense shrub wetland and SAS showing two types of peatland: fen and bog. In Umiujaq, research was conducted in the Tasiapik glacial valley. In all study sites, vegetation and geomorphological ground-truthing were conducted. Water samples were collected and a multiparametric probe was used for dissolved oxygen, turbidity, chlorophyll-a, colored dissolved organic matter, and other important parameters. In SAS and KWAK, drone surveys were conducted for 3D modeling and multispectral characterization of the water bodies and vegetation. Hyperspectral signatures of the lakes were also measured, using a field spectrometer. With the results of this campaign, the team hopes to bring more advances in the study of thermokarst environments and the important role of thaw lakes. 

ULISBOA NUNATARYUK team back to the Western Canadian Arctic

After two summers without fieldwork in the Arctic, a team of CEG/IGOT funded by the project NUNATARYUK was finally back on the Beaufort Sea Coast in July-August 2022. Gonçalo Vieira, Rodrigue Tanguy and Bernardo Costa continued the work on monitoring erosion on permafrost coasts, with fieldwork on the Yukon coast, from the Canadian-USA border to Kay Point and a brief camp in Herschel Island, followed by research in the hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk and the Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula area. The former is a collaboration with the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) and the Alfred Wegener Institute, and the latter is with the GSC and the University of Northumbria.
On the Yukon coast, the team conducted drone and GNSS surveys of long-term coastal erosion monitoring sites. At Tuktoyaktuk, drone surveys were conducted in the future resettlement area of the hamlet as an adaptation to increasing coastal erosion and flooding. Bernardo Costa was also involved in surveys along the Tukoyaktuk Peninsula, as part of the new UK-Canada-funded project NUNA.

Joana Baptista

Joana Baptista is a PhD student at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning of the University of Lisbon (IGOT), where she is developing research on modelling of Antarctic Peninsula permafrost temperatures. She has a bachelor’s degree in Geography and Spatial Planning from the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences of the NOVA University of Lisbon, followed by a master’s degree in Physical Geography at IGOT. Joana has participated in three field seasons in Antarctica while developing her research on the permafrost thermal state in the region. Currently, she is involved as a member of the POLAR2E ECR Newsletter Commission.

(Interview by Bernardo Costa)

How did you end up working in polar science? ☃️
In my master’s degree, I had the opportunity to develop a research project on a topic I was interested in. During the first year I was exploring some possibilities related to mountainous regions when in class, my current supervisor mentioned the opportunity to develop a research project on permafrost in the Antarctic Peninsula with the installation of a new borehole. I was fascinated by the possibility of developing my work in a polar region, so I applied for the position. In my first field campaign in King George Island, I had an exceptional scientific experience working on the drilling of the King Sejong Station borehole with a team of experienced researchers that were very enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge.

What does a typical day look like in your PhD student life? How did you adapt your life to living in Norway? 🎓
I plan my days with different tasks to be more productive. On an ideal day, I start in the morning with the revision of literature that might be relevant to my research. Then I work on the paper that I am currently developing. I also try to spend some time thinking and taking notes to organize my ideas. During the afternoon, I am working with the data series from the PERMANTAR observatories to prepare and develop the parameters that must be used in the modelling activities.
My internship at the University of Oslo changed this daily routine. Here I am dedicated to learning and exploring the functionalities of the Cryogrid model that I intend to use in my research project.
Despite this modification, the adaptation was very satisfactory. The Department of Geosciences where I am based has a good environment and promotes activities for researchers and PhD students to informally discuss their work at lunchtime. Moreover, the research developed is focused on polar regions, special in the Arctic and addresses different topics from glaciers, hydrology, meteorology, and permafrost which is very interesting. Living in Norway, more specifically in Oslo, also has very positive aspects. We are surrounded by forests and a multiplicity of trails that we can explore during our free time by just taking the subway. Another aspect that I enjoy is the possibility of commuting to the University. The city adopted a strategy to reduce the presence of cars which resulted in an efficient increase of bike lanes that can be used for travelling through the city and surrounding areas.

What are your current goals? In what way do you believe POLAR2E will help you to reach your research goal? ✔️
My current goal is to prepare and publish the first paper framed on my PhD research. After one year of working with the data series from the PERMANTAR observatories and the internship at the University of Oslo, I intend to write a new paper that reflects the work developed and the results achieved. POLAR2E promotes sessions where ECR present oral communications related to their work. These sessions have a discussion period with an audience of researchers from different fields of expertise, which gives us different perspectives on our work and approach. I consider that they would be an opportunity to discuss the work behind the article and improve it.

What steps did you take to adapt your PhD research amidst the COVID-19 pandemic? 💊
COVID-19 had a strong impact on the preparation of the 2021-2022 field campaign. Researchers had to plan the field activities while considering the risk of one of the team members getting sick. This possibility obligates us to have an alternative plan to minimize the outcome constraints. The pandemic scenario also required changes in health procedures to ensure the safety of every person who used the Antarctic infrastructures. Researchers had to go through several COVID-19 tests and a long quarantine to be able to travel. These procedures increased the costs associated with the campaign and required efficient management.

How do you feel about investigating a place as remote as the Antarctic Peninsula? 🌐
Antarctic Peninsula is a special region on a continent where the modifications caused by climate changes have a high impact on the cryosphere. Although, the current knowledge regarding permafrost temperature is limited and associated with high uncertainty. Studying the thermal state of permafrost in the Antarctic Peninsula is an amazing opportunity due to the possibility of enhancing my knowledge and conducting fieldwork that allows me to visit the ice-free areas where the observatories were installed. Fieldwork is an important component of the research since it permits a better understanding of the dynamics associated with permafrost. It also helps in the decision-making when working with the parametrization of the models used to estimate the permafrost temperature.

Can you describe the importance of your study to the body of knowledge on Antarctic permafrost and climate? 🧊
The Antarctic Peninsula is a hotspot of the continent where an increase of 3.4ºC in the mean annual air temperature was registered since 1950. This increase strongly impacts the cryosphere with the retreat of the glaciers, the disintegration of the ice shelves and permafrost degradation. Permafrost thermal dynamics is crucial for the terrestrial ecosystems of free-ice areas in the Antarctic Peninsula since it impacts the hydrology, vegetation, biodiversity, sediments, nutrients, and contaminants fluxes.
The knowledge of permafrost thermal dynamics is however limited due to a reduced number of deep boreholes (GTN-P) and their location in sites with different environmental conditions, which results in complex trends regarding the evolution of permafrost temperature in Antarctica. The studies conducted at the local scale on the ice-free areas of the Antarctic Peninsula show permafrost temperatures close to 0 ºC and at risk of thawing. The research project that we are developing has the purpose of applying a transient model that will allow the simulation of past permafrost temperatures and also its future behaviour, which will be crucial to the understanding of the evolution of ice-free areas following different climate change scenarios.
 

POLAR2E ECR at the International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

POLAR2E ECR at the First ULISBOA Science Day

Joana Baptista participated in the SCAR 2022 Open Science Conference

Barosch, J., […Martins, Z…] et. al., (2022) Presolar Stardust in Asteroid Ryugu, The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 935, L3. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ac83bd

Bonsoms, J., López-Moreno, J. I., González, S., & Oliva, M. (2022). Increase of the energy available for snow ablation in the Pyrenees (1959–2020) and its relation to atmospheric circulation. Atmospheric Research, 275, 106228. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ATMOSRES.2022.106228

Coelho, L. F., Blais, M. A., Matveev, A., Keller-Costa, T., Vincent, W. F., Costa, R., Martins, Z., Canário, J. (2022) Contamination analysis of Arctic ice samples as planetary field analogs and implications for future life-detection missions to Europa and Enceladus, Scientific Reports, 12, 12379. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-16370-5

Coelho, L. F., Couceiro, J. F., Keller-Costa, T., Valente, S. M., Ramalho, T. P., Carneiro, J., Comte, J., Blais, M. A., Vincent, W. F., Martins, Z., Canário, J., & Costa, R. (2022). Structural shifts in sea ice prokaryotic communities across a salinity gradient in the subarctic. Science of The Total Environment, 827, 154286. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2022.154286

de Lima, R. C., Cebuhar, J. D., Negrete, J., Ferreira, A., Secchi, E. R., & Botta, S. (2022). Ecosystem shifts inferred from long-term stable isotope analysis of male Antarctic fur seal Arctocephalus gazella teeth. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 695, 203-216. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14112

Freitas, P., Vieira, G., Mora, C., Canário, J., & Vincent, W. (2022). Vegetation shadow casts impact remotely sensed reflectance from permafrost thaw ponds in the subarctic forest-tundra zone. Environmental Earth Sciences, 81(22), 522. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-022-10640-1
 
le Moigne, P., Bazile, E., Cheng, A., Dutra, E., Edwards, J. M., Maurel, W., Sandu, I., Traullé, O., Vignon, E., Zadra, A., & Zheng, W. (2022). GABLS4 intercomparison of snow models at Dome C in Antarctica. Cryosphere, 16(6), 2183–2202. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2183-2022

Sotille, M. E., Bremer, U. F., Vieira, G., Velho, L. F., Petsch, C., Auger, J. D., & Simões, J. C. (2022). UAV-based classification of maritime Antarctic vegetation types using GEOBIA and random forest. Ecological Informatics, 71, 101768. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ECOINF.2022.101768