We have a large group of experts at the institute with a special focus on the Arctic and especially Greenland. We work to assess and monitor how the Arctic nature is doing, and how the Greenland environment is affected by mineral activities.
We participate in international monitoring and assessments of the Arctic environment, and the institute's researchers help investigate global changes in the environment and climate. Below is a small selection of the ongoing activities.
Janne Fritt-Rasmussen
, Senior Researcher
, Department of Ecoscience - Arctic Environment
Anders Mosbech
, Senior Researcher
, Department of Ecoscience - Arctic Environment
AMAP (Arctic Monitoring Assessment Programme) is one of the five working groups under the Arctic Council, which is an intergovernmental body consisting of eight countries with Arctic areas collaborating on Arctic issues. AMAP aims to monitor and assess pollutants and climate change in the Arctic region. AMAP produces assessments both on a scientific basis and for the Arctic governments, information material for the general public, and the associated researchers prepare a wide range of scientific publications.
Our research in Biogeochemistry in ArctiC Ecosystems (BACE) is centered around biogeochemical and biogeophysical processes in Arctic ecosystems. We are hence devoted to research questions relating to greenhouse gas exchange, carbon cycling and feedbacks associated with arctic ecosystems in a changing climate.
Research within the BACE-group is focused on the response of high latitude ecosystems to climate change, especially the interactions between (and within) tundra and marine ecosystems and the atmosphere. We perform measurements and modelling of greenhouse gas and energy exchange across various temporal and spatial scales.
Within Aarhus University, we are part of the Arctic Research Centre (ARC) and the Interdisciplinary Centre for Climate Change (iClimate). Furthermore, we are involved in several international research and monitoring programs, see our programmes page. We are physically based at Ecoscience in Roskilde/Risø, Denmark.
The EOS is a desktop analysis based on oil spill scenarios and published as well as expert knowledge on the environment in an assessment area.
The EOS tool can support decisions of inclusion of mechanical recovery, in situ burning and chemical dispersants in national oil spill contingency plans. In addition, the results obtained through the EOS tool can be used for establishment of cross-border and trans-boundary co-operation and agreements on oil spill response.
The EOS tool is based on an Excel spreadsheet, with references to explanatory boxes provided in the EOS Handbook.
The EOS tool can be downloaded free of charge. However, we also offer to complete an EOS analysis for a specific area. Please contact us for further discussions.
Scientists can follow mammal and bird migrations by placing a small tracker on the animals, which regularly via satellite sends information on the position of the animalsto the scientists’ computers.
In Greenland, Aarhus University, in collaboration with the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, has tracked a number of birds and mammals. Read about some of the projects in Greenland here:
Knowledge of nature and the environment is needed to be able to plan and regulate raw material activities. For most marine, and selected land areas in Greenland, the latest knowledge is gathered in regional environmental assessments and background study reports. They describe the physical and biological environment, including protected areas, endangered species and the exploitation of biological resources. The environmental assessments also include a description of background levels for pollutants and possible local sources of pollution. Based on this knowledge of the current situation, the potential environmental impact of raw material activities are discussed and assessed.
The climate of the Earth is changing. It gets warmer. Over the last 100 years, the temperature of the Earth has risen by an average of about 0.6 °C. It may not sound as much, but in many places you can already see the results of the warmer climate – trees bloom earlier than usual, winters are milder, glaciers retreat and species of animals and plants that usually live further south are pushed north.
Intensification of the greenhouse effect is the main reason for the temperature rise. This intensification happens as a result of the formation of so-called greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, CO2, from energy production and methane and nitrous oxide from agricultural production) resulting from human activities. The greenhouse gases rise up into the atmosphere where they form a layer around the Earth.
Niels Martin Schmidt
, Professor, Head of Section
, Department of Ecoscience - Arctic Ecosystem Ecology
Exploration is underway for a wide range of mineral resources in Greenland, including gold, lead, zinc, iron, diamonds and other precious stones as well as industrial minerals. Since 1850, mining has been carried out in several places in Greenland, including the mining of cryolite in South Greenland, lead and zinc in both East and West Greenland, the industrial mineral olivine in South West Greenland and gold in South Greenland.
Together with the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources (Pinngortitaleriffik), monitoring activities are carried out at abandoned mines in Greenland and also research projects, and we have a laboratory and a sample bank. This is aimed in particular at improving the basis for being able to advise the Government of Greenland (Naalakkersuisut) on environmental protection in mining in Greenland.
