Feedback loop that is melting ice shelves in West Antarctica revealed

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON

New research has uncovered a feedback loop that may be accelerating the melting of the floating portions of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, pushing up global sea levels.

The study, published in Science Advances, sheds new light on the mechanisms driving the melting of ice shelves beneath the surface of the ocean, which have been unclear until now.

The West Antarctic Ice Sheet has been losing mass in recent decades, contributing to global sea level rise. If it were to melt entirely, global sea levels would rise by around five meters.

It’s known that Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW), a water mass that is up to 4°C above local freezing temperatures, is flowing beneath the ice shelves in West Antarctica and melting them from below. Since so much of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet lies below sea level, it is particularly vulnerable to this warm water intrusion and may further retreat in the future.

Previous observations and models have revealed that eastward undercurrents are transporting this warm water to cavities under the ice shelves. Despite its significance, the mechanism driving this undercurrent has remained elusive.

Professor Alberto Naveira Garabato, from the University of Southampton, a coauthor of the paper, says: “Our findings suggest a positive feedback loop: as the ice shelf melts more rapidly, more freshwater is produced, leading to a stronger undercurrent and more heat being transported toward the ice shelves.”

“This cycle could speed up the melting of ice shelves, potentially making the West Antarctic Ice Sheet less stable in the future."

Researchers from the University of California Los Angeles, MIT and the University of Southampton, used high-resolution simulations to investigate the dynamics of the undercurrent.

Dr Alessandro Silvano from the University of Southampton, a coauthor on the study, said: “These simulations reveal that this deep current conveying warm waters toward the ice shelves is driven by the very same ice shelf melting that such warm waters cause.”

Their models suggest that when the warm CDW interacts with the ice shelf, it melts the ice and mixes with the lighter, melted freshwater.

This water then rises through the layers of water above it. As it does, it spreads out and stretches the layer of CDW vertically. This stretching creates a swirling motion in the water.

If there's a trough (a kind of underwater valley) near the coast, this swirling motion is then carried away from the ice shelf cavity toward the edge of the shelf by the movement of pressure within the water. This movement helps drive a current along the slope of the seafloor, directing more warm water toward the ice shelf.

The underwater current forms a bit farther away from the ice shelf, so as more ice melts, the current gets stronger, carrying even more warm water toward the ice shelf.

Dr Silvano added: “Scientific models that don't include the cavities under ice shelves are probably overlooking this positive feedback loop. Our results suggest it's an important factor that could affect how quickly ice shelves melt and how stable the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is over time.”

Antarctic Slope Undercurrent and onshore heat transport driven by ice shelf melting is published in Science Advances and is available online.

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation and the Natural Environment Research Council.

Ends

Contact

Steve Williams, Media Manager, University of Southampton, press@soton.ac.uk or 023 8059 3212.

Notes for editors

1. Antarctic Slope Undercurrent and onshore heat transport driven by ice shelf melting is published in Science Advances and is available here: https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/sciadv.adl0601
2. For Interviews with Professor Alberto Naveira Garabato and Dr Alessandro Silvano please contact Steve Williams, Media Manager, University of Southampton press@soton.ac.uk or 023 8059 3212.

Additional information

The University of Southampton drives original thinking, turns knowledge into action and impact, and creates solutions to the world’s challenges. We are among the top 100 institutions globally (QS World University Rankings 2023). Our academics are leaders in their fields, forging links with high-profile international businesses and organisations, and inspiring a 22,000-strong community of exceptional students, from over 135 countries worldwide. Through our high-quality education, the University helps students on a journey of discovery to realise their potential and join our global network of over 200,000 alumni. www.southampton.ac.uk

www.southampton.ac.uk/news/contact-press-team.page

Follow us on X: https://twitter.com/UoSMedia

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JOURNAL

Science Advances

DOI

10.1126/sciadv.adl0601 

ARTICLE TITLE

Antarctic Slope Undercurrent and onshore heat transport driven by ice shelf melting

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

17-Apr-2024

COI STATEMENT

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

 

Toward a unified theory for dynamics of glassy materials

SCIENCE CHINA PRESS

 

IMAGE: 

A SCALING RELATION BETWEEN THE NEW THEORETICAL ORDER PARAMETER IS DMIN AND THE RELAXATION DAMPING PHASE ANGLE (ALSO KNOWN AS INTERNAL FRICTION IN MATERIALS SCIENCES). THE DATA COVER 5 ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE IN TIMESCALE.

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CREDIT: ©SCIENCE CHINA PRESS

In the realm of disorder and amorphous systems, such as oxide glasses utilized in display technologies and the cryogenic preservation of biological materials, there exists a substantial body of contemporary scientific and technological exploration. A distinguishing feature of disordered materials is the presence of intricate dynamic behaviors, known as relaxation processes, which span from atomic vibrations on the picosecond timescale to aging and densification processes that can extend over thousands of years. These relaxation processes play a pivotal role in shaping the diverse properties of glassy materials. Recent research in the field of glass science has brought to light a variety of specific dynamic phenomena within glassy materials, prompting researchers to seek a unifying principle that can elucidate these processes across a wide spectrum of materials.

Hai-Bin Yu from Huazhong University of China and Konrad Samwer from the University of Gottingen recognized the absence of a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding relaxation dissipation in disordered systems. Rising to the challenge, they proposed an novel perspective to tackle this issue. While previous studies typically delved into the relaxation dynamics of individual particles within glassy materials, Yu and Samwer opted to view the system as a whole, focusing on the overarching patterns of inherent structures. This novel approach sheds light on the complex challenges in the field. Embracing this concept, they introduced a global order parameter, termed the inherent structure minimal displacement (IS Dmin), to measure the variability of configurations using a pattern-matching methodology.

By conducting atomic simulations on seven model glass-forming liquids, they were able to unify the impacts of temperature, pressure, and perturbation time on relaxation dissipation through a scaling law linking the mechanical damping factor to IS Dmin. They elucidated that this scaling law is a reflection of the curvature of the local potential energy landscape. Consequently, they successfully identified a universal foundation for glassy relaxation, proposing that the variability of configurations, as quantified by IS Dmin  uniquely determines the relaxation damping.

This landmark work not only presents an innovative approach to studying disordered systems but also serves as an inspiration, showcasing the potential of advanced pattern-matching techniques as potent tools for analyzing complex systems.

###

See the article:

Universal origin of glassy relaxation as recognized by configuration pattern-matching

https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwae091

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JOURNAL

National Science Review

DOI

10.1093/nsr/nwae091 

 

Planning at multiple scales for healthy corals and communities

STANFORD UNIVERSITY

Governments in the Mesoamerican Reef region are exploring the use of nature-based solutions to strengthen coral health and societal benefits for coastal communities. A new study led by Stanford researchers in collaboration with scientists from the World Wildlife Fund, the Healthy Reefs Initiative, and others from the Smart Coasts project quantified the outcomes of different watershed interventions to support coral health at regional versus national scales, and identified target areas that could improve both ecosystem and societal benefits nationally and across the region.

The nature-based approaches evaluated as key watershed (e.g., drainage area) interventions include ecosystem restoration or protection, and sustainable agriculture. Yet determining which areas to target for these interventions requires understanding the complex relationships between terrestrial and marine ecosystems, also known as “land-sea linkages,” their benefits to people, and the spatial scale being considered.

This work pushed the boundaries of how scientists analyze biophysical and ecological relationships, using cutting-edge optimization models (for the first time in a coastal context) of how to maximize benefits – and to whom – while meeting spatial or resource constraints.

“To restore nature – in this case, a large barrier reef – international collaborative actions at a large scale are what will really help,” said Jade Delevaux, the study’s lead author and senior fellow at Stanford’s Natural Capital Project. “At the same time, if you want to support coastal communities’ resilience by protecting properties and infrastructure along the coast or tourism-based livelihoods – you’re probably making decisions on a smaller scale.”

The research focused on illuminating some of these trade-offs for decision-makers and seeking places where there might be win-wins for the environment and people.

Land-sea connections

Healthy coral reefs provide essential economic, social, and environmental benefits to the communities that depend on them. These include coastal protection from storms, climate regulation, nature-driven tourism, and fisheries that feed communities.

While marine ecosystems can be affected by human activities in the ocean, like dredging or aquaculture, or natural hazards such as hurricanes, they are also affected by the health of upstream terrestrial ecosystems. Intensified deforestation in mangroves and tropical forests is a key factor, as it worsens pollution and carbon emissions on land. It also leads to sediment runoff from loss of their root systems, which harms downstream coastal water quality and consequently coral reef health.

The coastal and marine ecosystems of the Mesoamerican Reef stretch over 1,000 kilometers, establishing it as the largest transboundary barrier reef system in the Northern Hemisphere. Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras, three countries in the region, significantly affect the reef through human activities that impact the coastal watersheds. Yet these watersheds don’t always align with political boundaries, complicating policy interventions.

“It would be hard to justify, even scientifically, asking Guatemala or Honduras to finance watershed interventions if most of the benefits are accrued by the people in Belize,” said Delevaux. “That’s when we asked the question: if you were to manage watersheds with an eye towards supporting both people and climate resilience, would you target the same areas as you would if you were solely focused on coral reef health?”

Mapping benefits across scales

To answer that question, researchers and local partners identified target areas where three key watershed interventions could be implemented: restoration of agricultural land to native forest; protection of existing forest; and sustainable agriculture – converting conventional agriculture and ranching to agroforestry and silvopasture.

“It was amazing to see the level of coordination and collaboration happening while covering such a large geographic area. The communities’ knowledge, needs, and questions really influenced the science through the many workshops, participatory mapping exercises, and capacity trainings we held to gather the information for these analyses,” said Delevaux. “I’d say that part of the work was really inspiring, because you see how it’s going to be used firsthand.”

Then, using InVESTⓇ ecosystem services models, Delevaux and colleagues quantified the effects of different interventions in different target areas on coral health through sediment retention. They found that the most important target areas for coastal communities – where interventions would maximize societal benefits like tourism, fisheries, and coastal protection – changed depending on whether they prioritized a regional- versus national-scale scale approach.

Sediment retention and coral health improve the most in models prioritizing regional interventions that target larger, transnational watersheds. A national emphasis on smaller, non-transboundary watersheds lined by reefs provides more localized societal benefits.

“At the regional scale, across countries, we found we have the best opportunities for making investments in watersheds that are going to help reduce sedimentation and increase coral health across the region,” said Katie Arkema, senior fellow at the Natural Capital Project and senior scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Lab, with a joint appointment at the School of Marine Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington. “At the national scale, we can make investments that are going to really specifically benefit the coastal communities in that country through those societal ecosystem service benefits,” said Arkema.

While the study results show trade-offs between regional coral health and country-level societal benefits, there were also some interventions that prioritized similar target areas in both.

“These spatially explicit results are empowering for both local and regional managers. A donor or investor might be interested in improving reef health in a specific reef area or Marine Protected Area and could use these results to target the watersheds that yield maximum improvement in their focal area. A national government could determine the best set of interventions and watersheds that maximize both social and ecological benefits,” said Melanie McField, co-author, founder, and director of the Healthy Reefs for Healthy People Initiative.

“The model can also quantify the regional reef and social benefit to cooperative work in the major watersheds, supporting potential large-scale multi-national conservation efforts.”

Co-creating for the future

Researchers co-designed the study with local partners, including Healthy Reefs for Healthy People, and locally based affiliates of the World Wildlife Fund.

In Honduras, the results of the study are helping to guide investments in watershed restoration through replanting mangrove forests to minimize sediment runoff.

For Belizeans in Placencia, these results add to almost two decades of support for mangrove-forward development between the Natural Capital Project, WWF, Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute (CZMAI), and others. Delevaux also continues to work with communities in Placencia, Belize through an NSF project to find equitable nature-based solutions like mangrove restoration and conservation at the local level.

“It can be useful to emphasize for decision-makers that we do have some quantitative models and tools that can help support the kinds of decisions they have to make on where to direct funds. [Our research] can help provide insights into how the decisions that they make today might influence what happens in the future,” said Arkema.

Additional Stanford co-authors include ecosystem services analyst Jess Silver and senior GIS analyst Stacie Wolny, both affiliated with the Natural Capital Project. Additional co-authors are from Seascape Solutions LLC; the University of Washington; World Wildlife Fund-Mesoamerica; World Wildlife Fund, Mexico; World Wildlife Fund, Washington, D.C., USA; Sound GIS; Healthy Reefs for Healthy People; and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

This study was funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) Smart Coasts; the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; the National Science Foundation Coastline and People prime agreement; the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation, the Summit Foundation, and CORESCCAM BNP-PARIBAS foundation.

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JOURNAL

Nature Sustainability

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

22-Apr-2024

 

AI weather forecasts captured Ciaran’s destructive path

UNIVERSITY OF READING

Artificial intelligence (AI) can quickly and accurately predict the path and intensity of major storms, a new study has demonstrated.

The research, based on an analysis of November 2023’s Storm Ciaran, suggests weather forecasts that use machine learning can produce predictions of similar accuracy to traditional forecasts faster, cheaper, and using less computational power.

Published in npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, the University of Reading study highlights the rapid progress and transformative potential of AI in weather prediction.

Professor Andrew Charlton-Perez, who led the study, said: “AI is transforming weather forecasting before our eyes. Two years ago, modern machine learning techniques were rarely being applied to make weather forecasts. Now we have multiple models that can produce 10-day global forecasts in minutes.

“There is a great deal we can learn about AI weather forecasts by stress-testing them on extreme events like Storm Ciarán. We can identify their strengths and weaknesses and guide the development of even better AI forecasting technology to help protect people and property. This is an exciting and important time for weather forecasting.”

Promise and pitfalls

To understand the effectiveness of AI-based weather models, scientists from the University of Reading compared AI and physics-based forecasts of Storm Ciarán - a deadly windstorm that hit northern and central Europe in November 2023 which claimed 16 lives in northern Europe and left more than a million homes without power in France.

The researchers used four AI models and compared their results with traditional physics-based models. The AI models, developed by tech giants like Google, Nvidia and Huawei, were able to predict the storm's rapid intensification and track 48 hours in advance. To a large extent, the forecasts were ‘indistinguishable’ from the performance of conventional forecasting models, the researchers said. The AI models also accurately captured the large-scale atmospheric conditions that fuelled Ciarán's explosive development, such as its position relative to the jet stream – a narrow corridor of strong high-level winds.

The machine learning technology underestimated the storm's damaging winds, however. All four AI systems underestimated Ciarán's maximum wind speeds, which in reality gusted at speeds of up to 111 knots at Pointe du Raz, Brittany. The authors were able to show that this underestimation was linked to some of the features of the storm, including the temperature contrasts near its centre, that were not well predicted by the AI systems.

To better protect people from extreme weather like Storm Ciaran, the researchers say further investigation of the use of AI in weather prediction is urgently needed. Development of machine learning models could mean artificial intelligence is routinely used in weather prediction in the near future, saving forecasters time and money.

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JOURNAL

npj Climate and Atmospheric Science

DOI

10.1038/s41612-024-00638-w 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Do AI models produce better weather forecasts than physics-based models? A quantitative evaluation case study of Storm Ciarán

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

22-Apr-2024

 

The enemy within: How pathogens spread unrecognized in the body

UNIVERSITY OF BASEL

 

IMAGE: 

THE PATHOGEN BURKHOLDERIA THAILANDENSIS (PURPLE) USES CELLULAR COMPONENTS (YELLOW) TO FORM MEMBRANE PROTRUSIONS FROM ONE HOST CELL TO ANOTHER (GREEN).

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CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF BASEL, BIOZENTRUM

Some pathogens hide inside human cells to enhance their survival. Researchers at the University of Basel, have uncovered a unique tactic certain bacteria use to spread in the body without being detected by the immune system. In their study, they reveal the crucial role of a bacterial nanomachine in this infection process.

The inside of a cell provides as a hiding place for various pathogens. By residing in the cell, the bacteria can evade the immune response and spread within the body. Among these invaders are Burkholderia bacteria, including the species B. pseudomallei. This pathogen is known for causing melioidosis, a serious infectious disease prevalent in tropical regions. Due to the high mortality rate and the pathogen’s resistance to many antibiotics, B. pseudomallei is considered a potential biothreat agent.

In the less harmful relative B. thailandensis, the team led by Professor Marek Basler at the Biozentrum, University of Basel, has uncovered a cunning tactic the pathogen uses to spread within the tissue. “The bacteria are equipped with a nano-sized speargun, the so-called type VI secretion system, T6SS for short,” says Basler. “Burkholderia uses this T6SS to move from one cell to another without being recognized by the immune system.” The findings, recently published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe, change the current view of the T6SS’s role in Burkholderia infections.

Pathogen uses nanomachine to spread from cell to cell
From previous studies, it is already known that these intracellular pathogens rely on an unusual spread strategy: After entering the cell, they make use of cellular components, such as actin, to move to the cell membrane and form protrusions into the neighboring cell. Using their T6SS-speargun, the bacteria can also fuse the two cells allowing them to spread.

Unique strategy to spread undetected
By investigating the role of T6SS in more detail, the researchers have discovered a so far unknown and unique escape strategy of these bacteria. “We were surprised to see that Burkholderia can spread not only by inducing cell fusion but also by directly moving from cell to cell,” explains first author Dr. Miro Plum. The detachment of the protrusion from the cell membrane results in the formation of a vacuole within the neighboring cell. The pathogen inside this vacuole then breaks free by utilizing its T6SS to disrupt the surrounding cell membrane.

Surprisingly, spreading this way also enables the bacteria to infect new cells without alarming the immune system. “Normally, infected cells sense invaders by detecting damaged cell membranes, initiating immune responses to eliminate the pathogen,” emphasizes Plum. “However, cells fail to detect T6SS-disrupted membranes.” So, the pathogen remains undetected and can infect new cells.   

Exploring the survival tactics of intracellular pathogens
Equipped with the T6SS nanomachine, Burkholderia bacteria can pursue a dual strategy: cell fusion and directly moving from one cell to another. “Our results advance the understanding of infections caused by Burkholderia, particularly its strategies for spreading and immune evasion,” concludes Basler. The researchers now want to explore the mechanisms that specifically trigger the T6SS assembly in bacteria inside the protrusions to gain deeper insights into the survival tactics of this intracellular pathogen.

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JOURNAL

Cell Host & Microbe

DOI

10.1016/j.chom.2024.03.013 

ARTICLE TITLE

Burkholderia thailandensis uses a type VI secretion system to lyse protrusions without triggering host cell responses.

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

18-Apr-2024

 

Uncovering a CS Lewis poem in Special Collections

A forgotten poem by Chronicles of Narnia author CS Lewis reveals details of friendships between fantasy writers and medievalists at the University of Leeds

UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS

 

IMAGE: 

LITERARY ARCHIVIST SARAH PRESCOTT HOLDS ‘MÓD ÞRÝÞE NE WÆG’

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CREDIT: © CS LEWIS PTE LTD MUST APPEAR WITH THE IMAGE

A forgotten poem by Chronicles of Narnia author CS Lewis reveals details of friendships between fantasy writers and medievalists at the University of Leeds.

The 1935 poem, ‘Mód Þrýþe Ne Wæg’, was among a bundle of documents sold to the University’s Special Collections a decade ago. 

It reveals Lewis' friendship with the Gordons, a married couple and Leeds medievalists who were also good friends with Lord of the Rings author, JRR Tolkien. 

The poem was unearthed by Dr Andoni Cossio, a researcher at the University of the Basque Country and the University of Glasgow, when he was exploring the University’s Tolkien-Gordon Collection. It has been published for the first time in the Journal of Inklings Studies with a critical commentary by Dr Cossio. 

Dr Andoni Cossio said: “The moment I first read the manuscript, I was enraptured by its content. It had everything I could wish for: biographical details, Old English, alliterative metre, and Lewis's writing at its best. 

“It was soon obvious that it had passed completely unnoticed since its private owner transferred it to the University of Leeds in 2014. To discover the poem's secrets, I would have to do the research myself.” 

Whisky, ‘Beowulf’ and warm blankets 

The Old English title is complicated to translate as it involves playful references to Beowulf – the famous epic that Lewis taught at Oxford University. 

Using the pen name ‘Nat Whilk’ – Old English for ‘someone’ – Lewis thanks Leeds alum Dr Ida Lilian Gordon and her husband, Professor of English Language Eric Valentine (EV) Gordon, for a recent visit in the body of the poem. The poem praises the couple’s Manchester home for its whisky, white blankets and warmth, in modern English. 

The scholarly couple were influential among fantasy writers including Tolkien, who wrote the Gordons an Old English bridal song as a wedding present in 1930.   

Then, after a later stay with the Gordons, Tolkien penned a thank-you poem referencing Lewis’ visit, helping Dr Cossio to date ‘Mód Þrýþe Ne Wæg’ to early 1935. 

Medievalist minds

While EV Gordon and Tolkien both worked in Leeds’ English department, they started a Viking Club where they would read Old Icelandic texts while drinking beer.  

They also co-wrote with other authors a collection of songs for scholars and a new edition of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a late 14th century alliterative poem featuring one of King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table. 

Ida had a PhD in Philology (history of language) from Leeds, and after her husband’s sudden death in 1938 she started teaching at the University of Manchester to support their four young children. 

A letter from Tolkien also reveals that Lewis offered Ida financial support after her husband’s death, showing their close friendship. 

But the Gordons’ friendship with Lewis has been overlooked until now, as biographies and letters have only recorded a professional relationship when EV was a visiting examiner at Oxford.  

In contrast, it is well recorded that Lewis and Tolkien became friends at Oxford and started an informal society of writers called ‘The Inklings’, which met weekly to read and comment on its members’ work – a key part of the development of Narnia and Middle-earth. 

For Tolkien, Lewis and their circle, poetry was a way to explore their shared love of language and lore, and to develop their own writing. Dr Cossio added: “The thing I like most about this poem is that it opens a little door to that world.”

Sarah Prescott, Literary Archivist in Special Collections at the University of Leeds (pictured above), said: 

“The Tolkien-Gordon collection is a relatively recent acquisition for the University Library which filled a gap in our holdings on Tolkien’s time at Leeds, something of perennial interest to researchers. It gives rich insight into Tolkien’s developing work and the lifelong impact relationships formed at the University would have on him. It has also allowed researchers to explore the significance of EV and Ida Gordon, both as friends of Tolkien, and significant scholars in their own right. 

“This exciting discovery by Dr Cossio really brings the significance of this period at Leeds to life – we’re very excited to now be able to say we have an original CS Lewis poem in our collections too! 

“We look forward to welcoming more people to Special Collections to study the Collection to see what further insights can be found.”   

Medieval legacy  

The legacy of Tolkien, Lewis and the Gordons continues to inspire students and academics in Leeds’ thriving Institute for Medieval Studies.  

Medievalists from more than 60 countries flock to the University every year for the International Medieval Congress (IMC), which showcases academic papers, concerts and performances along with a book fair, workshops and excursions. This year’s IMC takes place from 1-4 July and has an overarching theme of ‘crisis’. 

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JOURNAL

Journal of Inklings Studies

DOI

10.3366/ink.2024.0216 

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

The Unpublished ‘Mód Þrýþe Ne Wæg’ by C.S. Lewis: A Critical Edition 1

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

22-Apr-2024

 

Against the clichés

Photo book "Moin und Salam" depicts the diversity of Muslim life in Germany

GOETHE UNIVERSITY FRANKFURT

 

IMAGE: 

MEDICAL STUDENT SÄLI ENJOYING HER HOBBY: LONGBOARDING

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CREDIT: JULIUS MATUSCHIK

FRANKFURT. Using historical images, snapshots of everyday life, multimedia links and explanatory texts, photographer Julius Matuschik and researcher Dr. Raida Chbib trace the history of Islam in Germany from the past to the present, exploring the question: Do Muslims and their religion belong to Germany? The illustrated book "Moin und Salam" shows that rather than being a question of "if", the answer should instead focus on "since when". Using select historical documents, Matuschik and Chbib show that Islam did not just arrive in Germany with the guest workers. Traces of Muslim life date back much further.

The five chapters of the book shine a spotlight on topics such as identity, affiliation, religious practices and holidays, Muslim youth subcultures as well as the first mosques and community foundations. The pictures are accompanied by short introductions of dedicated personalities or initiatives from Muslim communities that showcase the voluntary work that has been ongoing for years to promote coexistence in a pluralistic society. On more than 200 pages, the illustrated book not only reveals the diversity of Muslim life in Germany – whose multitude is probably unknown to many. The photographs also offer insights into the everyday lives of Muslims.

"German media often use imagery that portray Muslims and Islam in a one-sided and stereotypical manner. These recurring images create a framing effect that makes the Muslim presence appear foreign, dangerous or exotic. This imagery does not reflect our immigration society, in which religious freedom prevails and of which Muslims have long been a natural part," says the photographer.

Julius Matuschik and Dr. Raida Chbib already collaborated on the homonymous multimedia "Moin und Salam" blog, which – together with the islamimbild.de image archive – is based on Matuschik's practical project, funded by Stiftung Mercator and carried out at the Academy for Islam in Research and Society (AIWG).

"One of our objectives in this project has been to create a knowledge transfer between science and practice that takes place at eye level, which is also one of the AIWG’s main goals. The photographic research and audiovisual material constitute the framework for examining the history, backgrounds and contexts, and thus also for the accompanying texts. This approach brought to light exciting facts and questions, including how the act of making the history of minority groups more visible can contribute to a more pluralistic German culture of remembrance ," says Dr. Raida Chbib.

Chbib and Matuschik’s joint illustrated book is designed with a broad, international audience in mind.

The Omar Ibn Al Khattab Mosque in Berlin

Interior of the central mosque in Cologne.

Children's sports coach Leona Osmanaj in Hanover.

Prayer pulpit in the Fatih Camii in Berlin Kreuzberg

Soccer tournament "Imams against priests" in Berlin

CREDIT

Julius Matuschik

Publication: Moin und Salam. Muslimisches Leben in Deutschland – Muslim life in Germany. Eine Reportage. Edited by Julius Matuschik and Raida Chbib. Kerber: Berlin, Bielefeld, 2024 (208 p., hardcover German/English, ISBN 978-3-7356-0952-6). Publisher's website https://www.kerberverlag.com/de/2109/moin-und-salam.

Save the date
A discussion with authors Julius Matuschik and Dr. Raida Chbib will take place on June 8, 2024. Further information will be available on the AIWG homepage soon.

Julius Matuschik works as a photojournalist for various online and offline media. He is active in Cameo Kollektiv e.V., where he works together with others to realize socio-cultural projects and implement measures promoting cultural and political education. He first began photographically documenting Islam in Germany in 2013.

Dr. Raida Chbib is managing director of the Academy for Islam in Research and Society at Goethe University Frankfurt. Her research focuses on migration and religion, religious diversity, the organizational processes of Islam, as well as relations between the state and Islam in both Germany and Europe. She studied political science, international law and Islamic studies at the University of Bonn and received her doctorate in religious studies at Ruhr University Bochum (RUB).

About the AIWG
The Academy for Islam in Research and Society (AIWG) at Goethe University Frankfurt conducts interdisciplinary research and transfer activities with a focus on Islamic Theological Studies and Muslim life in Germany. It connects all faculties for Islamic Theological Studies or Islamic religious pedagogy found at universities in Germany. The academy addresses issues of social participation by including perspectives related to religion. The AIWG is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Further links:
https://www.islamimbild.de/overview
https://moinundsalam.de/