I work on the quantification of soil organic matter (SOM) in the Arctic. Soil organic matter contains a lot of carbon and nitrogen, which can potentially be released into the global carbon and nitrogen cycles through warming climatic conditions. In order to know how much carbon and nitrogen is in Arctic soils, we go to field sites and take samples of the soil at different places. For this we dig soil pits or use coring devices. Later the samples will be analyzed in the laboratory. The point information from these soil pits is afterwards combined with high-resolution satellite images to estimate the carbon storage and quality over large areas.

 

How are you affiliated with the PAGE21 project / what parts of your research will be a direct input to PAGE21?

Our working group will contribute with carbon storage maps for the main sites within PAGE21.

 

What is the current challenge within this topic?

The current challenge is to find the best way to upscale the point information to large areas using satellite images. I will investigate the use of different landscape classifications as well as the use of different statistical tools. Furthermore we want quantify statistically the uncertainties of our methods. The long-term goal is to develop pan-Arctic maps that include not only the carbon storage, but also the quality of the carbon and therefore the lability.

 

How did it happen that you became a researcher?

My parents always took us to warm countries on vacation. At some point I wanted to see cold countries and one thing led to another.

 

Why do you like being a researcher?

You get to visit places that you would never get to see with another job.

 

What do you like most in being a researcher?

My job has a lot of variety and it never gets boring.

 

How a typical working day looks like?

My working day depends a lot from the season. In summer we are out on fieldwork for several weeks. After summer I sit a lot in my office and work in front of my computer to do paper work. At the moment I also take some courses. In winter and spring I spend a lot of time in the laboratory and work on the samples that we collected during summer. After work I also take a Swedish course four times per week.

What are your plans for the upcoming three / five years?

In the next two summers, I want to do a lot of fieldwork to have a lot of data to write about in my Ph.D. thesis. Later I will be busy writing up everything.

 

Which expeditions do you participate this year and what is their main focus?

I will probably participate in an expedition to the Lena Delta in Russia and do some fieldwork in northern Sweden. In total I will spend around four weeks doing field work and another two weeks taking field courses. In both places we will quantify how much soil carbon can be found in these areas. The Lena Delta will be very interesting, because deltas deposits are thought to have a lot of carbon.

 

What do you usually miss the most when being on the field and what are the biggest challenge in the field?

I don't really miss anything. It is sometimes hard to keep the mood up if you are so long in the field.

 

What are your nicest / worst / most interesting experiences so far on expedition?

Nicest: The polar day. Having no mobile phone connection for two weeks.
Worst: Last year I got stuck in quick sand up to my ribs. In the beginning it was funny, but after a while it got quite scary.
Most interesting: Even in the remotest places you will run into people.