Deglaciation of Nuup Kangerlua: a multidisciplinary approach
Research leader: Diana Krawczyk, researcher, Greenland Climate Research Center, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources
In collaboration with: Frederik Fuuja Larsen, curator and museum manager, Greenland National Museum & Archives; Marit-Solveig Seidenkrantz, Professor, Department of Geoscience, Aarhus University; Naomi Hein, Communications Lead, Naomi Hein, Inc.
Research area, purpose, and research question:
Greenland’s fjords and coastal regions, home to vulnerable Arctic communities, face threats posed by climate change, glacier melting, and shifting sea ice patterns. The historical melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) has exposed new landscapes, offering habitats to marine mammals, seabirds, and the region’s first human settlers of the paleo-Inuit culture. However, this melting has also led to natural hazards like landslides. The records of these millennia-long transformations at the ice-ocean boundaries within the fjord systems are preserved in today’s landscapes and sediments, especially submerged beneath the sea. Yet, the timeline and dynamics of the GrIS retreat, along with its impacts on human settlements across inshore icescapes, fjords, and marine coasts, remain largely unknown.
Our project, centered on Nuup Kangerlua in Greenland’s capital region, seeks to unravel the historical narrative of the current interglacial period (Holocene), reaching back approximately 10,000 years. Utilizing a multidisciplinary approach prominently featuring geomorphology, paleontology, and archaeology, we aim to explore
1) the historical positions of the ice sheet throughout the entire fjord system,
2) the corresponding oceanic changes, and
3) the evolution of the landscape.
This investigation aims to reveal insights to the distribution patterns of paleo-Inuit settlements. Encompassing both on-land and underwater landscapes, our study employs new high-resolution models that serve as archives of the extensive GrIS melting. The resulting knowledge will be transformed into a 3D visualization, utilizing advanced 3D modeling and laser technology, depicting the detailed landscapes of Nuup Kangerlua. This visualization will highlight the locations of Saqqaq settlements in relation to past ice flows, providing a deeper understanding of the region’s historical dynamics.
Methods for capacity building in Greenland
The project partners with a local organization – Greenland National Museum and Archives – to review archaeological data and documents from Nuup Kangerlua region to help answer the key research questions. Our collaboration fosters mutual learning and knowledge exchange between researchers and community members.
The annual Culture Night in Nuuk provides a forum to showcase important scientific and cultural-historical topics for the Greenlandic community. Culture Night generates wide attendance from diverse age groups, as well as educational and socio-economic spectrums Nuuk-wide. The event is an excellent opportunity to convey key project findings, as well as interact with the public to generate awareness and involvement in the paleo-Inuit cultural heritage of the fjord system. We propose several activities to display this rich heritage and newly uncovered archeological findings. A central focus of our Culture Night display will be a tactile activity centered around a photographic image of Nuup Kangerlua. The image will be broken down into constitute parts, much like a jigsaw, and each participant will receive their own square to paint in the likeness of their segmented image. Individuals will learn about the project’s scientific findings in a light, conversational environment, and witness first-hand how their unique contribution facilitates a greater whole, i.e. the final display of the painted photo mosaic.
Recently, a strong need for science-based information and stories about Nuup Kangerlua for recreational purposes and guided tours has been highlighted at the local stakeholders meeting: ‘Nuuk’s future year 2035’ organized by the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources (https://natur.gl/year/2023/nuuks-fremtid-2035/). Our project will fulfill this need by carrying out meetings with local tourist agencies to exchange information on the important historical sites in the fjord system, thus advancing the realm of ‘intelligent tourism’. The project will deliver much needed educational material for the Greenland Education programme, i.e. accredited university field course ‘Arctic Marine Ecosystems in a Changing Climate’ and natural science teaching in Nuuk.
Methods for dissemination
The project’s outcome will be a 3D visualization of Nuup Kangerlua highlighting the key project findings. Highquality 3D models, including acrylic-engraving technology, will be used for interactive communication, such as lectures with students, international conferences (e.g. Greenland Science Week in 2025), public science events (the annual ‘Culture Night’ in 2025), and storytelling for ‘intelligent tourism’. These products will be gifted to Nuuk’s schools, local scout club ‘Nuummi Spejderit’, local tourist agencies, and community members involved in the sustainable Arctic use. Our 3D visualization of paleo-Inuit settlements in the frame of past ice flows will be published online and promoted via the institute’s podcast and website news. Progress of the project with key findings and deliverables will be highlighted through social media (Facebook, Twitter) and research portals (ResearchGate). Seafloor (bathymetry) data will be submitted to the Government of Denmark through Geodatastyrelsen as part of the hydrographic surveying and charting in Greenland, as well as to the new publication of The International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean (IBCAO) version 5 (in prep. for Nature journal). One peer-reviewed publication will be prepared and led by the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources.
Granted: DKK 176.675
