Guide Sven Lidström: Research and Adventures in Greenland

Sven Lidström is one of PolarQuest's most experienced guides, with extensive knowledge of the polar regions. In addition to his work as a guide, he has participated in several research projects, including at Summit Station, which is located at the highest point of Greenland's ice cap. This summer, he will return to this remote and extreme location, where he has also spent the winter, for new assignments. In this blog post, he offers a fascinating insight into the research conducted there and shares exciting stories from his own experiences.

Can you tell us a little about Summit Station and the type of research you have been involved in there?

– Summit Station is located at the highest point on Greenland's ice cap. To understand the project, I'd like to start with some background.

In the early 1990s, two ice cores, each over 3000 meters long, were drilled at this location, known as 'Summit'. The projects were named GRIP (Greenland Ice Core Project) and GISP 2 (Greenland Ice Sheet Project). Ice cores are similar to tree rings; they consist of layers for summer and winter. By analyzing these layers, scientists can see how the climate has changed over time.

Glacial ice is formed from snow, which contains a lot of air. Over time, the snow compacts and turns into ice, where the air bubbles are preserved. By extracting the air from these small bubbles, it is possible to determine the composition of the atmosphere up to 100,000 years ago.

When the ice is melted, it is also possible to analyze which pollutants were present in the snow at that time. By examining the distribution of different oxygen isotopes in the melted water, researchers can even determine the temperature at the time the snow fell.

Having a research station – which measures air, snow, and ice – at the exact same location where the ice cores were taken allows for the continuous collection of new data. These can then be compared with historical data from the ice cores. In this way, for example, we can compare today's carbon dioxide levels and temperatures with those from thousands of years ago – at the exact same location.

I have also worked for NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) at Summit. NOAA operates research stations, ships, and aircraft all over the world to study the oceans and the atmosphere.

They also launch weather balloons and other research balloons, for example, to study the ozone hole, which we did at Summit as well. In addition, they use a variety of instruments to measure air quality and pollutants. If there is a volcanic eruption in South America or a wildfire in Siberia, we can see the effects in our instruments a few days later.

Every month, we conducted long snowmobile trips to perform height measurements on snowdrifts. We measured how much snow had fallen or melted away to monitor the changes. These measurements were carried out at the same time as a research satellite passed over the area, which allowed us to calibrate the satellite's measurements each month.

Did you get the chance to experience any additional adventures during your time there?

– Yes, after wintering at Summit, a colleague and I decided to take on another adventure. From the ice edge in Kangerlussuaq, where we were flown, we hiked to Sisimiut. We followed the Arctic Circle Trail, a route that stretches 160 km from the ice edge to the coast. It took us two weeks to complete the hike, and during that entire time, we did not meet a single other person.

You’ll be guiding our two longer trips along Greenland’s coast this summer.  What are you most looking forward to?

– Greenland is absolutely spectacular and beautiful, so I am really looking forward to these trips – one along the beautiful west coast, and the other from the south to the east. I haven't done these exact expeditions before but something similar. After completing the Arctic Circle Trail, I went on a sister ship to M/S Quest and Ocean Nova, which sails up and down the Greenlandic west coast. The ship stopped at various settlements, and you got the chance to see a lot. A very exciting and interesting journey!