This is what researchers found when they examined the bottom of two lakes on Svalbard

How will glaciers behave in the future? How will they react to climate change in the Arctic?

To find answers, Andreea Gabriela Auer studied the Åsgardfonna glacier on Svalbard.

The project aimed to draw parallels between the current response to warming and moisture in the Arctic by using the past as a reference. Around 9,500 years ago, a similar warming occurred.

"I analysed lake sediments using various methods to determine how the glacier reacted to these warmer periods far back in time," says Auer. 

She is a PhD candidate at the University of Bergen's Department of Earth Science. 

Past vs future 

Studies of how the glacier adapted to previous warm periods can provide insight into potential future changes. 

The researchers focused on two lakes on Svalbard. Both are 'fed' meltwater from the Åsgardfonna glacier. 

Did the glacier melt during the warm period 9,500 years ago, or did it 'survive? If it survived, why? 

Glaciers are important

Willem van der Bilt is also a researcher. He highlights why studying glaciers, especially in the Arctic, is important.

“Over the next decades, these glaciers will be the main contributors to global sea level rise, more so than the larger ice sheets. The glaciers are much smaller, but they're far more responsive, so they react almost immediately to a changing climate,” says van der Bilt.

This is precisely why researchers want to understand how these glaciers behave in a world that is not only warmer but also wetter. 

The challenge is that climate models are incredibly uncertain about the amount and type of precipitation that will fall in the Arctic in the future. 

“What we cannot know is whether the precipitation will fall as rain or as snow. As you can imagine, as snowfall, it might help these glaciers melt a bit slower. They are still going to melt, though,” says van der Bilt.

Innovative methods

The researchers used Computed Tomography (CT) scanning to visualise invisible sediment structures. This method provides insight into depositional processes. It reveals fine-scale sedimentary features, such as layers left behind by geohazards.

“This was quite helpful because it really allows us to diagnose sediment structures in 3D. In this way, we identified an earthquake deposit. This is actually the first earthquake deposit identified on Svalbard,” says Auer.

Then they used a statistical method known as grain size end member modelling analysis (EMMA). This technique separates or unmixes different sediment sources, teasing out hidden signals associated with specific processes.

“You can think of it like identifying ingredients in a smoothie. We separate the different grain sizes, and each of them reflects a sedimentary process that brought the sediment to the lake,” she explains. 

Important result

Research on glaciers goes way back. 

The basic approach is to use fine-grained glacial flour that is produced by an eroding glacier and ends up in downstream lakes. 

Multiple generations of researchers at the the University of Bergen's Earth Science Department have worked on this since the late 1900s.

“We have learned a lot about the behaviour of glaciers in Norway and beyond over the past 10,000 years. Multiple colleagues have added new methods to the toolbox used for this work. It's great to be part of this developing story and add our own approaches to tease out more information from these records. Stuff that would otherwise be overlooked,” says van der Bilt.

He also hopes that researchers in the future will adopt these new methods so that we can learn more about glacier behaviour in other parts of the world as well.

The findings from Svalbard are exciting. It reveals that the Åsgardfonna glacier survived and may even have grown despite warmer conditions in the past, possibly due to increased snowfall.

The researchers believe this suggests that a future increase in precipitation – if it falls as snow – could moderate glacier retreat.

Reference:

Auer et al. Hydroclimate intensification likely aided glacier survival on Svalbard in the Early Holocene, Communications Earth & Environment, vol. 6, 2025. DOI: 10.1038/s43247-025-02064-z

This content is paid for and presented by the University of Bergen

This content is created by the University of Bergen's communication staff, who use this platform to communicate science and share results from research with the public. The University of Bergen is one of more than 80 owners of ScienceNorway.no. Read more here.

More content from the University of Bergen:

• 

  These researchers are hoping for bad weather. The goal is to see whether ice-free waters off Greenland can counteract changes in the Atlantic

• 

  Early humans in Eswatini chose ochre based on traditions, not just quality

• 

  Researchers have made groundbreaking discoveries in the fight against Huntington's disease

• 

  Mini-brains may enable new treatments for brain disorders like epilepsy

• 

  Geese can impact the permafrost on Svalbard

• 

  Autumn arrives later underwater than before