Helena Luisa Schäpers

Hello everyone, I'm Helena. I had the opportunity to do a research internship with PermaIntern at the University Centre in Svalbard from August to November 2024. Together with the team of the PermaMeteoCommunity project, I researched the thermal and moisture-related behavior of permafrost soils in Arctic regions with the aim of providing data for a climate change response system.

I completed the internship as part of my geography studies at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. During my studies I quickly realised that I am interested in geochemical analysis and fascinated by arctic regions – more than enough reasons for a research internship in Longyearbyen!

Due to climate change, not only is the ice melting, but the permafrost is also thawing, leading to high greenhouse gas emissions and forming a positive feedback loop. The PermaMeteoCommunity project aims to better understand the properties of permafrost to improve predictions of future thawing behavior, CO2 and CH4emissions, ground stability and avalanche risk.

My role in the project was to analyze a saline permafrost core in the laboratory. Due to the coastal location, it was expected that the core would have a high salt content. This is particularly exciting because the high salt content changes the freezing and dew points: The saltier the soil, the faster it could thaw! This means that much of the coastal permafrost may be thawing faster than expected because it maybe has a higher salt content. Other parameters I analyzed were gravimetric water content, ignition loss, presence of excess ice, grain size and different types of cryostructures.

With the results of my laboratory analysis, I was able to help expand the dataset for the Climate Change Response System, which is currently being developed.

What I enjoyed most about my job was that I was able to learn about so many different areas of research. In addition to the work I was able to do independently in the lab, I also had the opportunity to do a lot of field work and learn about different methods in the field, such as electro resistance tomography and seismic sensors. I would especially like to thank Knut Tveit for his excellent supervision, he was always willing to listen and  a tireless helper in the preparation of the core samples. I would also like to thank Hanne Christiansen for her support and help throughout my internship in Longyearbyen.

Last but not least: The area around Longyearbyen is great for hiking, climbing and exploring. Student life is great, there is always something going on, such as bonfires on the beach, going swimming together, doing sports or just enjoying a hot chocolate in the warmth of a coffee shop.

If you are also interested in doing an internship at UNIS, I can only recommend it! I had a great time with lots of new experiences, good coffee and beautiful views!