Ryder 2019 is a research expedition on board the Swedish icebreaker Oden to the remote Ryder Glacier in northwest Greenland. By mapping the area around the glacier, researchers can find patterns and causes of historical changes of the glacier. This knowledge can help us understand how the marine cryosphere is affected by climate change.
The Ryder 2019 expedition with the Swedish icebreaker Oden was a multidisciplinary expedition, spanning the fields of atmospheric chemistry and physics, biology, climatology, ecology, genomics, glaciology, oceanography, marine geology, geophysics, geochemistry and archaeology. The overarching goal is to investigate the dynamics and development of the marine cryosphere and ocean conditions over time in the marine realm of Ryder Glacier; more specifically in the Sherard Osborn Fjord and adjacent area of northern Nares Strait and the southern Lincoln Sea. Earth’s marine cryosphere includes glaciers extending into the ocean, ice sheets with their base suppressed below sea level, sea ice, gas hydrates and subsea permafrost.
Scientific motivation
One of the primary scientific motivations of the expedition is related to the role of outlet glaciers, such as Ryder Glacier, draining the Greenland Ice Sheet into the ocean. The dynamics of Greenland’s outlet glaciers represent an essential, but poorly constrained, part of our understanding of future sea-level rise in a warming climate. Critical to their stability are the roles of sea ice, floating ice tongues, bedrock and the shape of the seafloor.
The goal is to collect contextual data including information about the physical shape of the seafloor and its uppermost structure and geological composition, ocean conditions, as well as information about meltwater influx from the glaciers in the survey area. These data are needed from this poorly explored region to better constrain the numerical models needed to predict and assess the potential contribution of northern Greenland’s Ice Sheet to future sea-level rise.
Scientific questions
Some of the more specific key scientific questions include:
- What are the causes for observed patterns and sudden dynamic changes of the marine cryosphere of northern Greenland?
- What is the potential contribution to global sea-level rise from the northern sector of the Greenland Ice Sheet in a warming climate?
- What are the dynamic roles of floating ice tongues and sea ice for the stability of northern Greenland outlet glaciers?
- How does geology (bedrock and/or the shape of the seafloor) control the retreat dynamics of the northern Greenland Ice Sheet?
- What is the role in accelerating glacial melting of inflowing warmer water of Atlantic origin towards the outlet glaciers?
- What are the effects of glacial meltwater for the nutrient budget and productivity of the coastal marine ecosystem?
- What are the effects of glacial meltwater on the CO2 system and ocean acidification?
Petermann 2015
The Ryder 2019 project is a continuation of the expedtion to the Petermann Glacier in 2015. During the Petermann 2015 expedition, the Petermann Fjord and adjacent area of Hall Basin were investigated. The setup for the Ryder 2019 expedition is nearly identical.
Co-Chief Scientists
Martin Jakobsson
Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm University
Larry Mayer
Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping/Joint Hydrographic Center, University of New Hampshire, USA
Research logs from Stockholm University
Where is the icebreaker Oden now?
News about Ryder 2019
Sediment cores reveal how Greenlandic glacier melts
The melting of the sea ice in the Arctic and the faster melting of Greenland’s ice cover are two prominent environmental changes that could accelerate sea level rise in the…
“One of the most successful expeditions”
The Ryder 2019 Expedition with Swedish icebreaker Oden took place from early August to mid-September 2019 and included marine as well as land-based research. The overall scientific goal was to gain a better understanding of how climate affects the sensitive high Arctic environment.
Field work in the Arctic on the impact of climate on plants and animals
Fredrik Dalerum, Docent in Ecology at the Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, leads a research group that participated in this summer’s expedition with the icebreaker Oden to the Ryder Glacier in northwestern Greenland. In this research project, they study how Arctic species and ecosystems are affected by climate change.
Investigating iceberg release from Greenland’s glaciers
During the recent expedition with the icebreaker Oden to the Ryder Glacier in northern Greenland, researchers investigated the glacier’s mass loss.
Melting ice can lead to increased acidification of the Arctic Ocean
The rising temperature in recent years in the Arctic is causing sea ice and glaciers to melt at an ever-faster rate. The melting of the ice sheet in Greenland increases the inflow of meltwater into Greenland’s fjords and coastal water, with physical and geochemical effects on the fjord systems.
“We will see ground-breaking discoveries”
Christian Stranne was one of the scientists on the Ryder 2019 Expedition to northern Greenland with the icebreaker Oden between August 5 and September 12.
Blog: “Back in Petermann Fjord”
September 2, 2019, the Ryder expedition. We have left the far north. We are now working a bit south of the north; we are back in Petermann Fjord. All the…
Blog: “My theories are wrong”
August 30, 2019, The Ryder expedition. I have just scrapped my hypothesis. My theories are wrong. The paper I have been working on since 1991 will never be published. I…
Blog: “Hard to claim we are the first”
August 28, 2019, the Ryder expedition. Lincon Sea, Canada or Greenland or in between. We saw a polynya and we managed to get there during the night. A new area,…
Research buoy is lowered into the water during the expedition to Greenland 2019. Photo: Lars Lehnert
Blog: “The Holy Graal is yet to be discovered”
Still snowing. Winter is coming early. Around zero. Snowflakes get bigger every day. And the fog. Fog stopping us from helicopter operations. The land team was brought back last Friday…
Blog: A wolf-pack as our neighbors
Scientists met curious wolves.
Blog: “We are exploring new land and it’s fantastic”
A blog post from the start of the expedition.
The icebreaker Oden is on its way to Greenland
August 5, Swedish, American and Canadian researchers embark on an expedition with the icebreaker Oden to the Ryder Glacier in northwestern Greenland. The expedition will primarily investigate the link between…
Polar expedition to shed light on Greenlandic glacier
This summer, more than 20 researchers at Stockholm University are participating in a research expedition to Greenland. The expedition will primarily investigate the connection between climate change and glaciers, but archaeologists are also taking part to study how Greenland was colonised.