Fieldwork in the Swedish Lapland (2021)

Tarfala Research Station under the aurora!

During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, I had the privilege of a short, albeit needed, respite in the Kebnekaise Massif in the Swedish Lapland. I spent two weeks conducting fieldwork research for my master's thesis with my advisor Dr Arjen Stroeven and an additional month working as a field assistant at Tarfala Research Station under the management of Annika Granebeck and Nina Kirchner. Since the pandemic was in full swing, the visitors at the station were few and far between. Several weeks were spent in solitude along with my fellow co-workers as we witnessed the days grow shorter and nights grow longer in the Swedish Arctic.

Field days were spent on Storglaciaren conducting mass balance measurements or checking discharge measurements at the cold glacial stream of Tarfalajokk or trekking several kilometres down the mountain with equipment and several kilos of salt in the backpack. Storglaciären boasts the longest continuous mass balance record of any glacier in the world, with studies beginning in 1946. We witnessed Isfallsglaciaren aptly living up to its name - ice fall glacier, several snowstorms, hiking up Kebnepakteglaciären and the breathtaking aurora very early in the season. Throughout this experience, I formed strong friendships with my incredible and inspiring colleagues.

My time working in Tarfala was unlike anything I had ever experienced. The circumstances of that time amplified its significance, creating some of the best memories from what had been an incredibly challenging three years in Sweden.