Billefjorden, a branch of the larger Isfjorden system in Svalbard, is a cold and Arctic fjord. It is protected from the majority of Atlantic water inflow by an underwater sill. Our research station, located in Adolfbukta (BAB), is dedicated to study the authentic Arctic environment.
Picture by Sine-Sara Astad.
River and glacier run-off provide freshwater input during the summer, and the sea ice creates a layer of freshwater at the surface during the winter. At BAB we try to understand the ongoing oceanographic changes under Arctic conditions and how it impacts the Arctic marine ecosystem.
The Isfjorden Marine Observatory Svalbard (IMOS) project, is a high-Arctic time series that captures seasonal and interannual variability in the wider Isfjorden system. Temperature and salinity data collected since 2005 have provided valuable information on how warmer Atlantic waters enter Isfjorden but are prevented from entering BAB due to a sill protecting the deep basin.
Temperature transect in Isfjorden by the IMOS project v/Janne Søreide.
Written by Sine-Sara Astad, on behalf of the University Centre in Svalbard