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History Ny-Ålesund |
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Ny-Ålesund was
founded in 1917 by coal miners from the Norwegian town of Ålesund. The first
coal period persisted from 1917 until 1929. The site became worldwide-famous in
the years 1926 and 1928, when two airship northpole expeditions started from
here. A mast where the airship was attached still reminds to this event.
After some accidents, the coal mining was terminated, and
for some years there were nearly no activities in Ny-Ålesund. Only few staff
was present for some maintenance work. In 1966, the settlement was revitalised
by a telemetry station of ESRO. In 1970, the research station of the Norwegian Polar Institute began its operation. Since this time, the location became an important place for research activites of many nations and in a lot of disciplines. The research activities increased, especially in the 90s, when new permanently (e.g. Koldewey-Station, 1990) and seasonally active stations came into operation. Ny-Ålesund was going on a steady improvement of its facilities. In the last years, a new quai was built, the airfield was expanded, new houses for research, accomodation and other purposes (e.g. a small shop) were built, and the infrastructure was enhanced and improved.
Ny-Ålesund is an international base for natural sciences research, and a center for Norwegian Arctic research. It is located at 78 55'N, 11 56'E on Spitsbergen in the Svalbard Islands. Average temperatures range from -15C in February to +5C in July. Due to its low precipitation, the Svalbard has been called an "Arctic Desert". The area is typical of a high-Arctic ecosystem with a diverse geology and rich wildlife. Ny-Ålesund is easily accessible and has a well-developed infrastructure and facilities which provide optimum opportunities for research in Arctic studies. The Norwegian Polar Institute has established a research station which allows for year-round observations. Permission to conduct research which may have a physical effect on the environment must be obtained from the Governor of Svalbard. Applications must be sent one year before the start of the project. Permission must also be sought from the Norwegian Commission for Experiments with Animals if live animals are to be used during research. In certain protected areas, permission must be obtained for motorized travel.
Permanent research stations are operated by:
France which already operates a field camp
station some kilometers away from Ny-Ålesund for some weeks each summer, plans
to set up a station in Ny-Ålesund. There are nearly mainland-like telecommunication possibilities including internet. In comparison to other high latitude arctic stations, Ny-Ålesund is easily accessible. Scheduled flights go at least twice a week, cargo ships come on a regular base during the summer and additionaly at the other months, but not frequently. This allows researchers a
relatively flexible organisation of their stay there. Although Ny-Ålesund is a center for modern
polar research, a lot of old buildings from the coal mining age have survived,
and therefore the entire settlement is protected as cultural heritage on
Svalbard. There are strong restrictions for erections of new buildings which
have to fit the ensemble of the old buildings. An example for a new building
adjusted in this manner is the stratospheric
observatory building of AWI, built in 1994. The settlement is run by the Kings Bay AS (former Kings Bay Kull Compani AS, KBKC). This norwegian state-owned shareholder company is the successor of the old mining company. Today it is the task of Kings Bay AS to keep Ny-Ålesund alive from the technical aspect. Kings Bay is
owner of the area and of all buildings in the settlement and is responsible for
their maintenance. The research stations rent the buildings from Kings Bay AS as
well as accomodation for the staff and short time guests. The company also
serves full catering to all persons living in the settlement, is responsible for
electricity, fresh water, waste removal and other tasks concerning the
infrastructure of the settlement. Kings Bay AS organises flights between
Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund and cargo ships to/from the norwegian mainland.
Tourism take place mainly by cruising ships
which also come into the Kongsfjord and have a stay at Ny-Ålesund. Due to its
easy accesibility, the location is also used as starting point for trekking
tours. However, tourism is not only seen posivitively because of possible
disturbancies of research activities which are based on the nearly pristine
environment around Ny-Ålesund. Spitsbergen belongs to the most northerly
group of islands in the Arctic. Ny-Ålesund on the west coast is now an
international centre for research activities in the Arctic region. A general
description is given on this page. More details can be found here.
Carl Koldewey, leader of the first German North Pole Expedition, cruised the waters before Spitsbergen as far back as 1868. Scientists from the Alfred Wegener Institute have been working in Ny-Ålesund since 1988. In August 1991, Germany opened its new Koldewey research station here. It offers research facilities for scientists in the disciplines of
biology, chemistry, geophysics and atmosphere physics. The station comprises several
buildings. The "Blue House", for example, has rooms where up to eight
scientists can live, work and sleep. One of the main foci of research at Koldewey Station is monitoring the stratosphere over the north pole. In 1995, a new laboratory for this purpose entered service, featuring a special roof design that permits the installation of optical equipment. Using an infrared spectrometer, it is possible to determine the type and concentration of trace elements in the troposphere and stratosphere. A photometer that uses the sun and
moon as a light source is used throughout the year to measure the spectral
optical density of atmospheric aerosols. A laser "radar" device (Lidar)
is used to determine the concentration of ozone and the amount of aerosols at
high altitudes. In addition, balloon-borne radiosondes measure temperature,
water vapour pressure and vertical distribution of ozone. Since 1992, the Koldewey Station has formed part of the global "Network for Detection of Stratosperic Change" (NDSC). It supplies key long-term observation data essential for improving our understanding of chemical and physical processes in the atmosphere. AWI is conducting the stratospheric monitoring programme in conjunction with the University of Bremen and the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU). The meteorological and aerological data measured at the station are sent on a regular basis to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). |
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Personnel Support: The town offers several options for room and board, with both single and double rooms. All have access to toilets and showers. Four meals daily are served in the mess hall and special food requests can be accommodated. All the comforts of home including a gym, a cafe and a general store are available. Most buildings
on Svalbard are "no-outdoor-footwear zones" and it is therefore
recommended to bring slippers or indoor shoes along. Ny-Ålesund was defined by the norwegian parliament as the primary research site on Svalbard. This means, that in the further development of this settlement, priority is given to improve the conditions for reserch activities.
Services: Ny-Ålesund has the world's northern-most post office.
Alfred-Wegener-Institute (AWI)
National Institute for Polar Research (NIPR)
International Arctic Environmental Research Station
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Merlewood
Norwegian Mapping Authority
Norwegian Polar Institute Ny-Ålesund
NySMAC |