Dr. Jasmine Saros, UMaine SBE and CCI: Lakes in the cryosphere: ecological consequences of melting glaciers and thawing permafrost
Accelerated glacial recession and permafrost thaw in the Arctic have substantially altered the distribution and characteristics of associated lake ecosystems. The changing cryosphere not only affects the hydrologic cycle, it also alters physical (e.g., turbidity from glacial flour, temperature) and biogeochemical aspects (e.g., nutrients, metals) of associated lakes, with implications for lake habitat. Cryosphere lakes are also important components of freshwater security, as they serve as terrestrial storage sites to retain melted freshwater (versus loss to the ocean), reduce suspended sediment transport from glaciers, with positive implications for hydropower, and are sources of drinking water. This talk will focus on my work on this subject as part of two projects: 1) a Fulbright award in Norway during my sabbatical in Fall 2023, and 2) a long-term observatory that I maintain in West Greenland.
Jasmine Saros is a Professor in the School of Biology & Ecology and Associate Director of the Climate Change Institute. She is a lake ecologist and paleolimnologist, addressing research questions that focus on climate-driven lake ecosystem changes in Arctic, alpine and boreal regions. She serves as the Program Director of UMaine’s NSF Systems Approaches to Understanding and Navigating the New Arctic (SAUNNA) NRT, a program to train the next generation in Arctic systems science. She served as the US Fulbright Distinguished Arctic Chair to Norway in 2023.
Hosted by SBE Director Seanna Annis