Latest activities:

Sea Ice Summer School (Longyearbyen, Svalbard)

I attended the sea ice summer school from 02 to 13 July 2007. The summer school stood out for excellent lectures about the manifold aspects sea ice, from micro-scales to remote sensing, from field observations to model theories, from physics over chemistry to biology, and from Arctic to Antarctic ice. I was really excited to meet so many new people, old colleagues and the “who is who” of sea ice. If you want to know more about it: visit http://www.seaice.info or contact me.

Field work at the TARA drifting schooner

The field work was performed from a field camp at the schooner Tara conducted in the framework of the European project “Developing Arctic Modeling and Observing Capabilities for Long-term Environmental Studies” (DAMOCLES). Measurements of spectral albedo and transmission of snow and sea ice have been performed on new, first-year and second-year sea ice in the high Arctic (130°W, 88°N) from 22 to 29 April 2007. Simultaneously, snow and sea ice properties were measured. Optical properties of the snow and sea ice control how much solar radiation is reflected at the surface, penetrating the snow and ice layers, scattered, and what portion in the end reaches the water masses below the ice. The main objectives at Tara were the installation of (automatic) spectral radiometers to record temporal evolution of albedo and transmission during spring and summer, and to initialize time series studies of snow and sea ice measurements at the same location during this period. The latter will be continued through the Tara crew. Finally, all data sets will be jointly combined to increase the understanding of atmosphere-snow-ice interactions. Results will enhance the interpretation of satellite remote sensing data as well as contribute to the understanding of biological processes in and under the sea ice.

read more: Aftenposten article (29.05.2007, in Norwegian) 

Research interests

• Physical properties of snow and sea ice
• Field measurements
• Numerical studies
• Ice lab analyses
• Spectral albedo and transmission of / under snow and sea ice
• Atmosphere-snow-ice-ocean interaction

Current activities / projects

• DAMOCLES
• RECARO
• Antarctic sea ice: WWOS / ISPOL
• Svalbard sea ice monitoring

Selected publications

• Nicolaus, M., Haas, C., Bareiss, J., Willmes, S. (2006). A model study of differences of snow thinning on Arctic and Antarctic first-year sea ice during spring and summer, Annals of glaciology,44, 147-153.
• Nicolaus, M. (2006). Observation and modelling of snow melt and superimposed ice formation on Arctic and Antarctic sea ice (in German: „Beobachtung und Modellierung der Schneeschmelze und Aufeisbildung auf arktischem und antarktischem Meereis“), Berichte zur Polar- und Meeresforschung, 535., Dissertation University Bremen, Germany.
• Gerland, S., Haas, C., Nicolaus, M., Winther, J. -G. (2004). Seasonal development of structure and optical surface properties of fast ice in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, Reports on Polar and Marine Research,492,26-34.
• Nicolaus, M., Grosfeld, K. (2004). Ice-ocean interaction underneath the Antarctic ice shelf Ekströmisen, Polarforschung, 72(1), 2002, 17-29.
• Nicolaus, M., Haas, C., Bareiss, J. (2003). Observations of superimposed ice formation at melt-onset on fast ice on Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 28, 1241-1248. doi:10.1016/j.pce.2003.08.048

          All publications may be found here (pdf-format, search for: Nicolaus)