Polar MAGIC
The Polar Laboratory for Microbes and Geochemistry in Icy Climes
We are a laboratory for research into the microbiology and biogeochemistry of cold aquatic environments, based at the Department of Geosciences, UiT. Our main activities include:
The work conducted in Polar MAGIC aims to further our understanding of how natural processes in icy climes — namely, polar, sub-polar and glaciated mountain regions — affect the world around us. Some of the big questions that our researchers aim to answer include:
How is methane (a potent greenhouse gas) created in sub-permafrost groundwater seeps?
How does the release of heavy metals from glaciers affect local ecosystems?
How does the retreat of the Greenland Ice Sheet affect the global carbon cycle?
Can glacial rock flours be utilised as cheap supplements for crop growth?
Analytical biogeochemistry, aquatic environmental geochemistry, glaciers
Associated members
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Lisa-Marie Delpech — visiting PhD student (METHANICE) |
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Jon Hawkings — Adjunct Associate Professor (iC3) |
Newly published research from Tingey et al. evaluates the impact of glacial flour treatments on the health, yield and nutritional value of soybean crops.
Published later this week in iScience, Sarah's paper describes a proof-of-concept study in which glacial rock flours from different regions were applied to soybeans as a growth supplement. The key findings are that:
You can read the whole article here.
Researchers at Polar MAGIC have access to a wide array of equipment to facilitate their research.
We are open to collaboration with all those involved in academic research.
Internal researchers can request time using scientific equipment via this webform, or via the Bookings tab of our private lab Teams channel — contact Rory if you think you should be added to this. This term applies to all researchers who are associated with projects based in the UiT Department of Geosciences or iC3.
External researchers interested in either using the laboratory facilities or paying for analytical services should contact Rory at pmlab@uit.no. Be aware that UiT members from other departments will be able to access the same webform as internal researchers, but please contact the lab before requesting access.
Please note that all lab users (internal and external) are required to have completed an induction and signed any relevant risk assessments before commencing work in Polar MAGIC. Access will not be granted to users who have not completed these tasks, even if they have booked time on an instrument. To request an induction, please get in touch via pmlab@uit.no.
See below for current analytical prices. Note that the analytical costs cover consumables, blanks, standards and quality control testing. A discount is available for projects associated with the UiT Department of Geosciences.
We believe that scientific methodology should be easily accessible and publicly available. Internal users can find the current draft of the complete methods list on the private Polar MAGIC wiki. Over time, these will be published below for anyone to access.
In the meantime, if you wish to learn more about the methodology employed by Polar MAGIC researchers, feel free to reach out to pmlab@uit.no or anyone in the Members section above.
The potential for glacial flour to impact soil fertility, crop yield and nutrition in mountain regions (2024)
SL Tingey, JL Wadham, J Telling, S Flynn, JR Hawkings, SS Palinkas, Y Mun, CA Yates, G Lamarche-Gagnon, RJ Burford, AL Ramanathan, AM Hetherington, AN Dodd, X Liu, F Sgouridis. iScience.
The kind of work we do at Polar MAGIC can be particularly difficult to describe to a non-specialist audience. Unseen creatures that shape the climate? Invisible processes that can poison waters or make crops grow?
Sounds like, well, magic.
To help to bridge the gap between scientific research and public understanding, we try to write about our fieldwork, our science and what it all means for the world in accessible language. See below for some curated works from members of our lab.
| Ice Rivers Popular science book by Jemma Wadham (Penguin Press, 2022) A Story of Glaciers, Wilderness and Humanity |
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