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This study investigates how to enhance Sámi participation in EU Arctic policymaking processes by adopting and adapting participatory practices from the Arctic Council. Through a qualitative content analysis of policy documents and elite interviews, the study identifies that the EU can learn from the Arctic Council by recognizing the Sámi as internal actors, developing their collaborative platforms, and integrating Indigenous Knowledge into policymaking processes. This thesis develops a conceptual framework, integrating the concepts of procedural and intergovernmental self-determination, epistemic belonging, and organizational interdependency to define meaningful Indigenous participation and influence, which guides the analysis. Using this framework, the study contrasts the Arctic Council’s successful practices, where Indigenous Peoples Organizations are treated as equals, with the EU’s tendency to view the Sámi as an external Indigenous group outside of EU borders. The study identifies opportunities for the EU to translate participatory mechanisms that reflect the Sámi’s unique position and integrate their knowledge, as well as barriers such as treaty and resource constraints. By translating Artic Council practices into soft-law, the EU can create an inclusive atmosphere, contributing to meaningful Sámi participation.

The aim of this study has been to analyse the Norwegian climate discourse and itsimplications on disaster diplomacy between the member states of the Arctic Council. For the purpose of this study, disaster diplomacy refers to the occurrence ofcooperation to address the disaster that is climate change. The Arctic was chosen asthe subject due to it being one of the regions most affected by climate change, whichcreates threats to Arctic societies and ecosystems. The concept of disaster diplomacy and John S. Dryzek’s classifications of climatediscourses form the theoretical framework of this study. The analysis was conductedusing a qualitative textual analysis and found that the Norwegian climate discourse ispredominantly environmentalist, seeking proactive measures to mitigate climaterelatedconsequences. Thus, the Norwegian climate discourse can be assumed to createfavourable conditions for disaster diplomacy. However, certain climate-related issuesrisk causing challenges for disaster diplomacy amongst the member states of the ArcticCouncil.

Im Vergleich zum Rest der Erde erfährt die Arktis eine signifikant schnellere Klimaerwärmung, die unter dem Begriff Arktische Verstärkung bekannt ist und mit zahlreichen sich verstärkenden Prozessen und Mechanismen einhergeht. Wolken spielen aufgrund ihrer Mitwirkung in verschiedenen, gegensätzlichen Effekten eine zwiespältige und eine der unsichersten Rollen für die Veränderung des arktischen Klimasystems. Daher ist die Untersuchung arktischer Wolken und ihrer Effekte von essenzieller Bedeutung, um den arktischen Klimawandel besser zu verstehen und in Modellen repräsentieren zu können. Diese Arbeit quantifiziert den bodennahen Strahlungseffekt von Wolken (engl. cloud radiative effect, CRE) aus einer Kombination von flugzeuggetragenen Breitbandstrahlungsmessungen während tiefer Flugabschnitte unter meist bewölkten Bedingungen und Strahlungstransfersimulationen für wolkenlose Bedingungen. Die Flugzeugmessungen wurden über den gegensätzlichen offenen Ozean- und Meereisoberflächen während dreier jahreszeitlich unterschiedlicher Kampagnen in der Umgebung von Spitzbergen aufgenommen. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist die Untersuchung des Einflusses von Oberflächen-, Wolken- und thermodynamischen Eigenschaften sowie Sonnenzenitwinkel (SZW) auf Unterschiede des solaren, thermisch-infraroten (TIR) und gesamten (solar+TIR) CRE, in Bezug auf die verschiedenen Kampagnen und Oberflächentypen. Die Unterschiede des solaren CRE werden überwiegend vom Kontrast der Oberflächenalbedo und vom jahreszeitlich variierenden SZW angetrieben. Der stärkste Abkühlungseffekt wurde im Frühsommer festgestellt und die über offenem Ozean beobachtete Abkühlung war stärker als über Meereis (-259 W m-2 vs. -65 W m-2 im Frühsommer, -108 W m-2 vs. -17 W m-2 im Frühjahr). Außerdem beeinflussen von Wolken ausgelöste Veränderungen der Oberflächenalbedo den solaren CRE je nach SZW und Oberflächentyp. Der TIR CRE zeigte aufgrund der vorherrschenden opaken Wolken und einer Kompensierung von Effekten sich ändernder Temperatur und Feuchte nur schwache Veränderungen zwischen den Kampagnen und Oberflächentypen (etwa 75 W m-2). Daher wird die Variabilität des gesamten CRE von der Schwankung des solaren CRE bestimmt. Über offenem Ozean wurde ein Abkühlungseffekt während aller Kampagnen beobachtet, über Meereis konnte der solare Abkühlungs- den TIR Erwärmungseffekt hingegen nur im Frühsommer ausgleichen. Für die gesamte Region Framstraße resultiert ein mittäglicher erwärmender, neutraler und abkühlender Effekt in Frühjahr, Frühsommer und Spätsommer aus dem Jahresgang der Meereisbedeckung. Zusätzlich zur eher qualitativen Analyse der einzelnen Einflussfaktoren auf die Unterschiede des solaren CRE wird ein Ansatz zur quantitativen Bestimmung dieser Faktoren angeregt. Diese neue Methode basiert auf einer Fallstudie mit sich verändernden Wolken- und Oberflächeneigenschaften senkrecht zur Eiskante während eines Warmlufteinschubs. Trotz signifikant mangelnder Komplexität der dem Fall zugrundeliegenden Parametrisierung werden plausible relative Beiträge von 77 % und 23 % zum Unterschied des solaren CRE zwischen offenem Ozean und Meereis für Oberflächen- respektive Wolkeneigenschaften ermittelt.:Zusammenfassung Abstract 1 General Introduction 1.1 Arctic Amplification – The Accelerated Warming of the Arctic 1.2 Clouds in the Arctic Climate System 2 Definitions and Theory 2.1 Radiative Quantities 2.2 Radiative Energy Budget 2.3 Surface, Cloud, and Atmospheric Properties 3 Motivation and Objectives 3.1 Previous Research on Cloud Radiative Effect 3.2 Aims of the Thesis 4 Observations and Methods 4.1 Aircraft Measurements 4.1.1 Broadband Radiation Measurements 4.1.2 Complementary Observations 4.2 Radiative Transfer Simulations 4.3 Calculation of Cloud Radiative Effect 4.4 Retrieval of Surface Albedo in Cloud-Free Conditions 4.4.1 Sea Ice Albedo and Retrieval of Equivalent Liquid Water Path 4.4.2 Open Ocean Albedo 4.4.3 Albedo of Inhomogeneous Surfaces 4.5 Uncertainty Estimation 4.5.1 Broadband Radiation Measurements 4.5.2 Radiative Transfer Simulations 4.5.3 Cloud Radiative Effect 4.6 Overview of Employed Data sets from all Campaigns 5 Statistical Analysis of Surface Cloud Radiative Effect 5.1 Campaign Characteristics 5.1.1 Sea Ice Distribution and Solar Zenith Angle 5.1.2 Thermodynamic Profiles 5.1.3 Cloud Properties 5.2 Impact of Cloud-Induced Albedo Modification 5.2.1 Impact on Surface Albedo 5.2.2 Impact on Solar Cloud Radiative Effect 5.3 Impact of Flight Altitude 5.4 Observed Cloud Radiative Effect 5.4.1 Solar Cloud Radiative Effect 5.4.2 Thermal-Infrared Cloud Radiative Effect 5.4.3 Total Cloud Radiative Effect 6 Sensitivity of Solar Cloud Radiative Effect to Surface and Cloud Properties 6.1 Introduction of Case 6.1.1 Synoptic Situation 6.1.2 Surface and Cloud Characteristics 6.2 Contributions to Solar Cloud Radiative Effect 6.2.1 Relative Contributions along a Continuous Time Series 6.2.2 Relative Contributions between States 7 Conclusions and Outlook 7.1 Summary and Conclusions 7.2 Outlook A Appendix A.1 Uncertainty Estimation A.1.1 Broadband Radiation Measurements A.1.2 Radiative Transfer Simulations A.1.3 Cloud Radiative Effect List of Figures List of Tables List of Symbols and Acronyms Bibliography Acknowledgements Summary of the Dissertation List of Papers and Author’s Contribution Supervision Statement / Compared to the rest of the globe, the Arctic experiences a significantly more rapid climate warming, which is called Arctic amplification and linked to numerous intensifying processes and mechanisms. Due to their contribution to and modification of various counteracting effects, clouds play one of the most ambiguous and uncertain roles in the change of the Arctic climate system. Thus, the investigation of clouds and their effects in the Arctic is essential to better understand and represent the Arctic climate change. This thesis quantifies the near-surface cloud radiative effect (CRE), which is obtained from a combination of airborne broadband radiation measurements during low-level flight sections under mostly cloudy conditions and radiative transfer simulations for cloud-free conditions. The airborne measurements were acquired over the contrasting open ocean and sea ice surfaces during three seasonally distinct campaigns in the vicinity of Svalbard. The objective of this thesis is to analyze the impact of surface, cloud, and thermodynamic properties as well as solar zenith angle (SZA) on differences of the solar, thermal-infrared (TIR), and total (solar+TIR) CRE with respect to the particular campaigns and surface types. The difference of the solar CRE is found to be predominantly driven by the contrasting surface albedo and the seasonally varying SZA. The strongest solar cooling effect was detected in early summer and the cooling observed over open ocean was stronger compared to sea ice (-259 W m-2 vs. -65 W m-2 in early summer, -108 W m-2 vs. -17 W m-2 in spring). Additionally, modifications of the surface albedo induced by the cloud-related illumination changes affect the solar CRE depending on SZA and surface type. The TIR CRE varied only weakly between campaigns and surface types (around 75 W m-2) due to the predominant opaque clouds and a compensation effect of changing temperature and humidity. Consequently, the variability of the total CRE is driven by the solar CRE variation. While a total cooling effect was present over open ocean during all campaigns, the solar cooling could compensate the TIR warming effect over sea ice only during early summer. For the entire Fram Strait region, the seasonal cycle of the sea ice distribution results in a total warming, neutral, and cooling effect during solar noon in spring, early summer, and late summer. In addition to the rather qualitative analysis of the individual contributors to the CRE differences, an attempt to quantitatively disentangle the contributions is proposed. This new method is based on a case study with varying cloud and surface properties over the sea ice edge during a warm air intrusion. Although the underlying parameterization developed for the case significantly lacks complexity, plausible relative contributions of surface and cloud properties of about 77 % and 23 % to the solar CRE difference between sea ice and open ocean are retrieved.:Zusammenfassung Abstract 1 General Introduction 1.1 Arctic Amplification – The Accelerated Warming of the Arctic 1.2 Clouds in the Arctic Climate System 2 Definitions and Theory 2.1 Radiative Quantities 2.2 Radiative Energy Budget 2.3 Surface, Cloud, and Atmospheric Properties 3 Motivation and Objectives 3.1 Previous Research on Cloud Radiative Effect 3.2 Aims of the Thesis 4 Observations and Methods 4.1 Aircraft Measurements 4.1.1 Broadband Radiation Measurements 4.1.2 Complementary Observations 4.2 Radiative Transfer Simulations 4.3 Calculation of Cloud Radiative Effect 4.4 Retrieval of Surface Albedo in Cloud-Free Conditions 4.4.1 Sea Ice Albedo and Retrieval of Equivalent Liquid Water Path 4.4.2 Open Ocean Albedo 4.4.3 Albedo of Inhomogeneous Surfaces 4.5 Uncertainty Estimation 4.5.1 Broadband Radiation Measurements 4.5.2 Radiative Transfer Simulations 4.5.3 Cloud Radiative Effect 4.6 Overview of Employed Data sets from all Campaigns 5 Statistical Analysis of Surface Cloud Radiative Effect 5.1 Campaign Characteristics 5.1.1 Sea Ice Distribution and Solar Zenith Angle 5.1.2 Thermodynamic Profiles 5.1.3 Cloud Properties 5.2 Impact of Cloud-Induced Albedo Modification 5.2.1 Impact on Surface Albedo 5.2.2 Impact on Solar Cloud Radiative Effect 5.3 Impact of Flight Altitude 5.4 Observed Cloud Radiative Effect 5.4.1 Solar Cloud Radiative Effect 5.4.2 Thermal-Infrared Cloud Radiative Effect 5.4.3 Total Cloud Radiative Effect 6 Sensitivity of Solar Cloud Radiative Effect to Surface and Cloud Properties 6.1 Introduction of Case 6.1.1 Synoptic Situation 6.1.2 Surface and Cloud Characteristics 6.2 Contributions to Solar Cloud Radiative Effect 6.2.1 Relative Contributions along a Continuous Time Series 6.2.2 Relative Contributions between States 7 Conclusions and Outlook 7.1 Summary and Conclusions 7.2 Outlook A Appendix A.1 Uncertainty Estimation A.1.1 Broadband Radiation Measurements A.1.2 Radiative Transfer Simulations A.1.3 Cloud Radiative Effect List of Figures List of Tables List of Symbols and Acronyms Bibliography Acknowledgements Summary of the Dissertation List of Papers and Author’s Contribution Supervision Statement

In the Beaufort Sea, freshwater input from the Mackenzie River creates a relatively warm and turbid plume across the coastal shelf region. To determine the effects of the Mackenzie River plume on marine larval fish abundance, distribution and assemblages; this study sampled larval fish by using 500 μm bongo nets and obtaining oceanographic measurements across the plume gradient during July and August of 2007. Three larval fish assemblages were identified within three water masses: the intense plume assemblage was dominated by Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii pallasii), the diffuse plume assemblage was dominated by the sub-family Lumpeninae and the oceanic assemblage was dominated by Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida). Also, results revealed that there were no significant differences in the total larval fish abundances within these water masses. In conclusion, this study suggests that the Mackenzie River plume might be identified as an Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area (EBSA), based on the uniqueness criteria under Canada’s coastal conservation strategy.

In the Beaufort Sea, freshwater input from the Mackenzie River creates a relatively warm and turbid plume across the coastal shelf region. To determine the effects of the Mackenzie River plume on marine larval fish abundance, distribution and assemblages; this study sampled larval fish by using 500 μm bongo nets and obtaining oceanographic measurements across the plume gradient during July and August of 2007. Three larval fish assemblages were identified within three water masses: the intense plume assemblage was dominated by Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii pallasii), the diffuse plume assemblage was dominated by the sub-family Lumpeninae and the oceanic assemblage was dominated by Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida). Also, results revealed that there were no significant differences in the total larval fish abundances within these water masses. In conclusion, this study suggests that the Mackenzie River plume might be identified as an Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area (EBSA), based on the uniqueness criteria under Canada’s coastal conservation strategy.

La fonte rapide des glaces de l'Arctique dans le contexte actuel du réchauffement climatique est un sujet scientifique majeur de ces 30 dernières années. L'Arctique joue un rôle fondamental dans l'équilibre du climat et requiert une attention particulière. Les régions arctiques sont alors surveillées par des observations satellitaires et des mesures in-situ. L'impact climatique de la fonte totale de la glace arctique est encore spéculatif. Des recherches sont donc nécessaires pour le suivi à long terme de l'Océan Arctique, en particulier la dynamique spatio-temporelle de la couverture de glace et ses conséquences sur les écosystèmes. Notre travail s'inscrit dans ce contexte, et est porté sur le paysage sonore des régions polaires avant leur possible industrialisation qui accompagnera la fonte de la glace. Ainsi, nous avons d'abord examiné les conséquences de la disparition du couvert de glace sur les paysages sonores de ces régions. Nous avons alors étudié les variations saisonnières du bruit de fond et ses pilotes environnementaux. De ce fait, nous avons développé un algorithme d'estimation du bruit ambiant afin de pouvoir constituer des séries temporelles à partir des données acoustiques longue durée. Deuxièmement, nous avons étudié les transitoires générés par le comportement mécanique de la banquise en Arctique. Cette étude vise d'une part à comprendre le mécanisme de production de ces transitoires sous la glace, et d'autre part à évaluer leur potentiel comme moyen d'observation de la dynamique de la glace de mer. / The Arctic sea ice melting, in the global warming context, has become a major scientific topic during the last 30 years. The Arctic Ocean plays a fundamental role in the global climate balance and requires a particular attention. The Arctic Regions are then monitored by satellite observations and in-situ measurements. The climatic impact of the total melting of the Arctic sea ice is not yet understood and researches are still needed for long term monitoring of Arctic Ocean, particularly the dynamics of the ice cover and its consequences on the ecosystems. Our work focused on the natural soundscapes of these Polar Regions prior to their possible industrialization. So, we first examined the impact of climate warming alone on polar soundscapes by studying the seasonal variability of ambient noise and its environmental drivers. We then developed an ambient noise estimation algorithm for automatic extraction of this noise component from long term measurements. In second, we examined the acoustic transients generated by the mechanical behavior of the ice cover at its maximum extent. This aims to better understanding of the physical processes involved in under-ice noise production and their potential use for sea ice monitoring.

The increasing pace of climate change in the last two decades has brought the Arctic, a former geopolitical afterthought, into growing prominence on the global stage. Receding ice and melting tundra have made a cornucopia of rare earth metals and hydrocarbons ripe for extraction as well as opened new shipping lanes which have the potential to revolutionize how goods are moved around the planet. In this emerging environment is a budding balance of power which involves the most powerful actors in the world-system, two of which, the United States of America and the People's Republic of China, are the focus of this thesis. Their respective arctic policies shape the balance of power for not only themselves, but for all other actors in the theater. The United States' laissez faire attitude towards the Arctic has caused it to fall behind the progress of other powers in the region which could make it difficult to assert its influence in the theater in the future. China however has chosen to follow an ambitious arctic policy despite its geographical distance from the region, and has given the arctic a prominent position in its greater Belt and Road project, much to the suspicion of traditional arctic powers. Analyzed through a realist lens, the balance of power in the Arctic appears to be stable for the...