We recently received data and images from Steffen Ringsø Nielsen, a PHD Student who is undertaking permafrost mapping research in Greenland with colleague, Daniel Juul Okholm, with DTU Sustain, part of the Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering in Denmark.
As part of his Phd project ‘NUNA SISOORTOQ – Natural Hazards of Mudslides and Permafrost Detachment in Sedimentary Environments’, Steffen is studying Arctic mud and landslides that have resulted from the thawing permafrost in sedimentary environments.
Focussed on permafrost distribution in the Qeqqata Kommunia area and examining the climate’s effect on the active layer of the permafrost, the project’s end goal is to develop a geohazard map of potential mud and landslides to prevent accidents in the area.
In July 2025, the Arctic Circle Road in Qeqqata Kommunia opened. It’s an ATV road connecting Sisimiut with Kangerlussuaq and continues all the way to the Ice Cap. This road is the first road connecting the two towns in Greenland.
Stretches of the road suffer from thawing permafrost, making it difficult to predict where the permafrost will cause damage next. Therefore, the sedimentary basins along the entire trail have been investigated using the TEM2Go. The investigation covers a transect of 200 km, also making it the longest stretch of open land in Greenland from East to West.
This transect also gives the possibility to understand how the permafrost distribution changes from inland to coastal climate. Half of the transect runs through a UNESCO area, which features ancient ruins and hunting grounds from the first Inuit people.
At this site, Aasivissuit, the TEM measurement clearly shows two layers, one of high resistivity and one of low resistivity. Looking at the upper marine limits in the landscape, it is evident that the sea once covered this area. Consequently, some salt is left in the lower layer, which decreases the freezing points of the sediments. The upper layer is younger glacial deposits and is permafrozen.
Project details:
NUNA SISOORTOQ – Natural Hazards of Mudslides and Permafrost Detachment in Sedimentary Environments
- Nielsen, Steffen Ringsø (PhD Student)
- Ingeman-Nielsen, Thomas (Main Supervisor)
- Darrow, Margaret Marie (Supervisor)
Thanks to Nunatsinni Ilisimatusarnermik Siunnersuisoqatigiit, the Greenlandic Research Council, for financing this project.
The project is carried out with the following partners:
- DTU Sustain
- Arctic DTU
- University of Alaska Fairbanks
- HGG, Aarhus University
- British Geological Survey
- Qeqqata Kommunia
- Masanti Sisimiut
