Constantin Schorling

Hi! My name is Constantin Schorling, I am a physics student from Heidelberg (Germany), and I had the greatopportunity to spend time at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) from August 2024 until December 2024, working on an exciting project as part of my research internship. My PermaIntern project was imbedded in the PermaMeteoCommunity Project which is aiming to develop a coupled permafrost and meteorological climate change response system, yielding an enhanced understanding and ability to predict and respond to climate change-permafrost-related changes in an Arctic environment. The scope of my research internship included a systematic contribution of geophysical data to the response system as well as an analytical evaluation of the resistivity data by correlation with moisture content. By investigating this correlation, moisture content can be minimally invasively predicted trough geoelectric measurements, which is crucial for assessing slope stability in the area.

When I first came here in August, it was still polar day. Daylight in the middle of the night was stunning, especially combined with the excitement of getting to know and adapt to a new environment. I began my fieldwork on the slopes around Longyearbyen by performing electrical resistivity tomographies (ERT), two-dimensional images of the resistivity of the ground. Setting up and conducting ER measurements is in general not difficult, but requires some equipment, which can be quite heavy (a little side note: I’ve always had great help, not hard to find at UNIS). Nevertheless, I have really enjoyed working in the field and applying the theoretical knowledge I have acquired over the last few years. I find it particularly interesting that, despite my very general physics degree, I was able to make a valuable contribution in a very specialized area of environmental research and experience fundamental phenomena in practice, such as how an ERT works. Part of my internship was to install an automated ERT system (AERT) to do my job in the future - in other words, I basically replaced myself, I learned a lot about setting up and running ERT systems, manually and automatically.

Eventually, the days became shorter and the temperatures dropped in mid-September. Soon all the light would disappear and the polar night would settle. I was really looking forward to this, as I had never experienced it before. I spent a lot of time swimming in the pool, analyzing the data I had collected and taking the final measurements outside because I wanted to record the time when all the ground would be fully frozen. The time flew by and was over far too quickly. I would love to come back, maybe next time in the snowmobile season, to experience winter in all its beauty in bright sunshine.

I’m so grateful to have been part in the PermaMeteoCommunity Project as an official PermaIntern and to work alongside an incredible team. Special thanks to Knut Tveit for his guidance and for always being open to discussing ideas, as a supervisor and a friend. And a heartfelt thanks to Hanne Christiansen, whose support and dedication ensured that everything was well-organized, and that I had everything I needed for a successful experience.

I would absolutely recommend this opportunity to anyone passionate about permafrost research especially in the Arctic. The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) offers a unique environment, not just academically but also socially. As it is such a small settlement in my opinion the community feeling was even greater, despite the freezing temperatures. Don’t hesitate to reach out to join student/Longyearbyen WhatsApp or Facebook groups—they’re a great way to connect and make the most of your time here.

If you have any questions or would like to get in touch, feel free to reach out to me. I’d be more than happy to share more about my experience!

Warm regards, Constantin Schorling