Seismological monitoring of Svalbard's cryosphere: current status and knowledge gaps

This is chapter 5 of the State of Environmental Science in Svalbard (SESS) report 2019 (https://sios-svalbard.org/SESS_Issue2).

The new research field of cryoseismology studies ground shaking (seismic waves) generated in the frozen part of our planet. The shaking is caused by processes such as icequakes related to the movement of glaciers, glacier calvings, and flowing meltwater. Climate change affects processes at glaciers such as calving and causes changes in the permanently frozen ground (permafrost) in polar regions. Cryoseismology can measure these changes using seismic waves.

Accessibility and well-developed logistics mean that Svalbard is much easier to work in than other regions in the Arctic or the Antarctic, and make Svalbard a natural laboratory to study changes in the cryosphere induced by climate change. Continuous seismic data collection in Svalbard (going back as long as decades) allows us to observe long-term trends and changes in seasonal patterns of glacial seismicity or sub-surface structures (permafrost). High temporal resolution of seismic data provides much more detail, e.g. about the calving process, than satellite images and helps us estimate the mass of ice that glaciers lose due to calving. Strong calving in Svalbard can be registered at great distances (up to 100 km) and measurements are fully independent of visibility, which allows for observation of calving regardless of polar night or bad weather conditions. This report briefly presents cryoseismology, its capabilities and methods within a global context, highlights recent research activity in Svalbard and suggests directions for future research and development of seismological infrastructure.