Ny-Ålesund – POLARIN

Ny-Ålesund collaboration

Ny-Ålesund Research Station at 79°N in the north-western part of Spitsbergen, Svalbard, is one of the world’s northernmost year-round research communities and provides researchers with a unique platform for natural science research and environmental monitoring in the high Arctic. While remote, it is easily accessible, and offers extensive research infrastructure.

International polar research in Ny-Ålesund has been facilitated by Norway for 60 years. Svalbard research is characterized by a high degree of international collaboration, and in Ny-Ålesund, more than 20 research institutions are engaged in long-term research and monitoring activities. In POLARIN, five institutions (AWI, CNR, IPEV, NERC and NPI) provide access to the facilities at Ny-Ålesund Research Station.

The diverse international presence on site provides unique opportunities for collaboration. The research community has established four flagship programs which cover most of the research and monitoring projects and programs in Ny-Ålesund. The flagship programs have regular meetings and are open to all scientists. The flagship programs are arenas for contact, coordination and cooperation. For additional information about the four flagships, read more here:
https://nyalesundresearch.no/research-and-monitoring/

At Ny-Ålesund Research Station, the company Kings Bay AS owns and leases out nearly all facilities to the on-site institutions and visiting scientists. Transportation (solely by plane), freight handling, accommodations, meals, polar bear safety courses and equipment, snowmobiles, and shared laboratory facilities are organized through Kings Bay.More information about the joint research infrastructures can be found here: https://nyalesundresearch.no/research-and-monitoring/infrastructure/.

Detailed description on ongoing research and monitoring in Ny-Ålesund from all four flagships to be included here

Atmosphere
The Atmosphere Flagship focuses on measurements from the surface up to the upper atmosphere utilizing a wide array of different techniques and instruments. Long- term monitoring observations form the basis for targeted campaign activities on key topics such as aerosols, clouds, precipitation, trace gases, radiation, and atmospheric dynamics. Continuous measurements are operated at different infrastructures in and around Ny-Ålesund, e.g. the AWIPEV Atmosphere Observatory, the Gruvebadet Atmosphere laboratory, the Climate Change Tower and the Zeppelin Observatory. This extensive measurement program has already been supplemented several times by balloon-borne platforms or UAVs for particular process studies on aerosol and cloud particles. In addition, there are other ground-based activities to capture turbulent energy fluxes related to boundary layer dynamics and surface-atmosphere coupling. The higher atmosphere is also being researched, both in terms of atmospheric temperature and dynamics up to the thermosphere, and in terms with interaction with solar particles in the auroral oval.�

Read more about the Atmosphere flagship program here:https://nyalesundresearch.no/research-and-monitoring/atmosphere/. The chair of the flagship is Marion Maturilli from AWI:marion.maturilli@awi.de. Detailed information about ongoing atmospheric monitoring can be found in the Ny-Ålesund GIS in Svalbardkartet. Read more here:https://nyalesundresearch.no/infrastructures/tools/. The Research in Svalbard database provides an overviewof ongoing research projects in Svalbard. By utilizing the search function:https://www.researchinsvalbard.no/search/projects/list-result and choose Station: Ny-Ålesund Research Station, Discipline: Atmosphere, and the period of interest, you get a list of all the ongoing relevant research projects in Ny-Ålesund.��

Terrestrial ecosystems
The Terrestrial ecosystem Flagship brings together polar scientists studying different aspects of the terrestrial ecosystem and ecology. The group has diverse interests that range from animals (vertebrates and invertebrates) to vegetation and microbial communities. Freshwater ecosystems are well represented in the flagship, as well. A review paper, published in 2022 in Polar Research, has highlighted the studies on Terrestrial Ecosystems of the last 50 years in Ny-Ålesund and has been the opportunity to discuss and identify the research gaps still unsolved. The flagship has focused, in the recent past, on strengthening the cooperation and collaboration among the scientists, not only in Ny-Ålesund, but in Svalbard in general. In this respect, several workshops and networking meetings have been organized (funded by Svalbard Strategic Grant). The terrestrial community takes advantage of the Terrestrial laboratory in Ny Ålesund, equipped with instruments needed for basic preparation of samples.�

Read more about the Terrestrial Ecosystem e flagship program here:https://nyalesundresearch.no/research-and-monitoring/terrestrial-ecosystems/. The chair of the flagship is Angela Augusti from CNR:angela.augusti@cnr.it. For more information about the terrestrial laboratory:https://nyalesundresearch.no/infrastructures/veksthuset/.��

Detailed information about ongoing terrestrial monitoring can be found in the Ny-Ålesund GIS in Svalbardkartet. Read more here:https://nyalesundresearch.no/infrastructures/tools/. The Research in Svalbard database provides an overview of ongoing research projects in Svalbard. By utilizing the search function:https://www.researchinsvalbard.no/search/projects/list-result and choose Station: Ny-Ålesund Research Station, Discipline: Terrestrial Biology, and the period of interest, you get a list of all the ongoing relevant research projects in Ny-Ålesund.�

Kongsfjorden system
The Kongsfjorden System Flagship brings together scientists working on physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the Kongsfjorden system. Being directly influenced by inflow of warm atlantic water, it is a highly sensitive marine system to climate change in the Arctic. Further, Kongsfjorden represents one of the most comprehensive environmental monitoring locations in the Arctic, making scientific coordination particularly fruitful. In the Flagship, long-term monitoring via autonomous instrumentation such as moorings at different locations in the fjord system can be brought together with ship-board data collection to better understand the temporal and spatial variability of the systems characteristics, also by means of modelling. Further, long-term monitoring as well as project- or campaign-based research investigates all aspects of the fjord system, from sea ice over the water column to the sediments, as well as from glacial and river run-off in the inner fjord to advection of Atlantic water at the entrance. Likewise, a large variety of organisms are being investigated, from microbes to zooplankton all the way to sea birds, fish, seals and whales, as are biogeochemically relevant parameters such as nutrient and carbonate chemistry dynamics. For the different organism groups, flagship members decipher their life cycles and seasonality, as well as interannual variability in their occurrence, activity and interdependencies. Focus is set on climate change and pollution effects on the fjord ecosystem, both in terms of long-term observations but also dedicated experimental programs being conducted in the KB Marine Laboratory. The flagship communicates via an email list and meets about annually (e.g. in conjunction with the Svalbard Science Conference).�

Read more about the Kongsfjorden System flagship program here:https://nyalesundresearch.no/research-and-monitoring/kongsfjorden-system/. The chairs of the flagship are Clara Hoppe (AWI) and Allison Bailey (NPI):clara.hoppe@awi.de andAllison.Bailey@npolar.no. ��

Detailed information about ongoing marine monitoring can be found in the Ny-Ålesund GIS in Svalbardkartet. Read more here:https://nyalesundresearch.no/infrastructures/tools/. The Research in Svalbard database provides an overview of ongoing research projects in Svalbard. By utilizing the search function:https://www.researchinsvalbard.no/search/projects/list-result and choose Station: Ny-Ålesund Research Station, Discipline: Marine Biology and/or Oceanography, and the period of interest, you get a list of all the ongoing relevant research projects in Ny-Ålesund.�

Glaciology
The Glaciology Flagship brings together scientists studying glaciers and snow in Svalbard. About 60% of Svalbard is covered by glaciers, and the archipelago is snow-covered a large part of every year, so this flagship covers a lot of territory. Topics of interest includes: glacier mass balance; glacier dynamics, including the problem of surging; glacier hydrology and its influence on ice dynamics; ice cores, as records of past climate as well as e.g. contaminants and pollutants; and ice and snow biochemistry. The Glaciology Flagship conducts regular workshops for researchers from the various international groups studying Svalbard glaciers and snow, to promote better collaboration and cooperation between the groups, identify research challenges and opportunities, develop new techniques and instrumentation, and optimize program methodology.�

Read more about the Glaciology flagship program here:https://nyalesundresearch.no/research-and-monitoring/glaciology/.The chairs of the Flagship are Jack Kohler (NPI,jack.kohler@npolar.no) and Songtao Ai (Wuhan University).

Detailed information about ongoing glaciology monitoring can be found in the Ny-Ålesund GIS in Svalbardkartet. Read more here:https://nyalesundresearch.no/infrastructures/tools/. The Research in Svalbard database provides an overview of ongoing research projects in Svalbard. By utilizing the search function:https://www.researchinsvalbard.no/search/projects/list-result and choose Station: Ny-Ålesund Research Station, Discipline: Cryosphere, and the period of interest, you get a list of all the ongoing relevant research projects in Ny-Ålesund.�

Specific description for each of the five institutions providing access to Ny-Ålesund Research Station

AWI and IPEV: Ny-Ålesund Research Station – AWIPEV
In Ny-Ålesund, the German Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) and the French Polar Institute (IPEV) jointly operate the Arctic research base AWIPEV [seewww.awipev.eu]. With the help of an overwintering team on site all year round, AWIPEV serves as a platform for investigations in the fields of biology, glaciology, geophysics and atmospheric research. Consisting of several buildings, AWIPEV research base offers accommodation, offices and laboratories for guest scientists. The AWIPEV atmospheric observatory building is dedicated to atmospheric research with remote sensing instruments. Other buildings contain laboratories for physical, biological and chemical analysis. AWIPEV also provides a number of vehicles, snow scooters and motorboats, as well as associated equipment for daily to weekly expeditions to the surrounding area.��

At AWIPEV, several observatories are operated for the long-term recording of essential climate variables, which contribute to international networks of the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS). The atmospheric observatory is specially designed for remote sensing instrumentation. In addition, long-term data series of meteorology and radiation are collected on a dedicated measuring field and balloon soundings are carried out regularly. Since 1998, the permafrost observatory outside of Ny-Ålesund records soil temperature and hydrological parameters at different soil depths, as well as parameters related to the exchange between atmosphere and ground. An underwater observatory has been operated at AWIPEV since 2012, which records oceanographic parameters of the Kongsfjord over the long-term. Beginning with first studies of the Austre-Lovén glacier in the 1960s, a regular monitoring project of glacier dynamics and mass balance aims to establish the glacier basin as a long-term observatory using classical and innovative instruments.�

Consequently, AWIPEV is a good starting point to integrate specific process studies into a larger time frame by complementing ongoing long-term observations with related project activities. To apply for TA at AWIPEV, please contactmanagement@awipev.eu beforehand, so that we can advise you to apply via AWI or via IPEV.�

CNR: Ny-Ålesund Research Station – Dirigibile Italia
Dirigibile Italia is one of the multidisciplinary research stations managed by the National Research Council of Italy (CNR), supporting numerous national and international research projects. The station, inaugurated in 1997, is located in the village of Ny-Ålesund and has been under the management of theInstitute of Polar Sciences since 2020.�

The scientific activities that take place at the base cover various fields including the study of the atmosphere, sea, cryosphere, marine and terrestrial biology, geology, and upper atmosphere. The station is open and accessible all year round, with the presence of at least one staff member. The station participates in numerous access programs, providing resources and facilities to countries that lack direct access to the Arctic for research purposes. Dirigibile Italia has a surface of 323 m², with about half of them designated as laboratories, workspaces and offices. It can provide also logistic support being equipped with snowmobiles, a car, radios, gps and everything is needed for field work.�

Dirigibile Italia manages (or is involved in the management of) different research infrastructures in the Ny- Ålesund Research Station such as theAmundsen-Nobile Climate Change Tower, a scientific platform dedicated to studying the thermodynamic characteristics of the atmospheric boundary layer and the exchange processes between the surface and the lower atmosphere, theGruvebadet Atmospheric Laboratory, focused on studying atmospheric composition (particularly aerosols) but also of the snowpack, and three instrumentedmoorings positioned in the Kongsfjorden and in the Krossfjorden. Hosting further instrumentation at these infrastructures is possible after agreement with the respective Pis, while data are available for integration with other studies.�

For more information about Dirigibile Ialia and specific needs, please contactinfo.dirigibileitalia@cnr.it. �

Norwegian Polar Institute: Ny-Ålesund Research Station – Sverdrup
The Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) oversees operations at the Ny-Ålesund Research Station – Sverdrup in Ny-Ålesund, staffed by six dedicated individuals. Our team at Sverdrup manages a spectrum of both long-term and short-term measurement programs, providing support to visiting scientists in their research projects and offering logistical assistance to research teams working in the vicinity of Ny-Ålesund.�

At NPI Sverdrup, scientists from various disciplines are welcome, with a diverse array of field equipment available for rental. This includes crucial safety equipment for fieldwork such as communication devices (radios, satellite phones, emergency beacons), glacier safety gear, snowmobile equipment, backpacks, waterproof bags, and more. For a comprehensive list of available equipment and pricing details, please refer to our catalog at:https://varekatalog.npolar.no/Varekatalog.pdf.��

In terms of field support Sverdrup offers services including boat transportation and radio contact during field campaigns. While scientists are responsible for their own safety while working in the field, our Sverdrup team is accessible via radio for assistance throughout the day and evening.��

Additionally, NPI is tasked with managing the Zeppelin Observatory, situated 472 meters above sea level on the Zeppelin Mountain. Our engineers maintain and operate monitoring instruments on a daily basis for programs conducted on behalf of the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) and provide essential support to international institutions for their measurement projects.�

NPI is the official Norwegian host in Ny-Ålesund, and has been tasked by the Norwegian government with implementing and following up the Research Strategy for Ny-Ålesund – a strategy that defines the overall development of Ny-Ålesund Research Station.��

If you plan to request access to NPI and Sverdrup at the Ny-Ålesund Research Station, please be in contact withhead.npi@npolar.no.� �

NERC: Ny-Ålesund Research Station – Harland-Cox Huset
Established in 1991, the UK’s Arctic Research Station in Svalbard is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) as part of the network of research facilities in Ny-Ålesund supporting excellent environmental science. It is managed and operated by the British Antarctic Survey.��

The Station provides an extremely effective and safe platform for Arctic field research and has supported researchers across a wide range of fields, including ecology, glacial/periglacial geomorphology, atmospheric chemistry, microbiology, and marine research. The UK station is situated in Harland-Cox Huset and contains laboratory facilities, office, workshop, storage, sitting room, and bedrooms.

Recent investment has enabled the Station to include a range of cutting-edge science kit, including an ice corer, water sampling equipment, CTD, and a Polarcirkel workboat which is available for use in the nearby Kongsfjorden, extending the reach and range of activities for the next generation of Arctic scientists. There is also a comprehensive film and editing setup to allow scientists visiting the Station to document their work and prepare material for outreach and other communication purposes. From a comfort perspective, the Station is also well stocked with outdoor clothing to loan to visitors, as well as cold weather, field, and boating safety gear.

The use of any of this equipment is included in the service the facility provides and incurs no extra cost. All users of the Station receive comprehensive briefings and appropriate training. Further field safety support is also provided during their stay.��

The Station is normally open to support researchers from early March through to early September, although there is potential to open the Station at other times of the year. Expressions of interest in using the Station are welcome at any time but it is best to apply as early as possible. When applying for TA to the NERC Station, please contact the Station Manager (iadk@bas.ac.uk) in the first instance.

For further information about the Station, the application process, requirements for access and who to contact, as well as detail on Ny-Ålesund itself, please visit the NERC Arctic Station website:www.arctic.ac.uk/uk-arctic-research-station/.�