Norway is the only country that manages areas in both the Arctic and the Antarctic. In view of Norway’s long traditions as a polar nation and its highly qualified polar research communities, the Norwegian authorities are keen for Norway to participate actively in this international cooperation. During the Polar Year, substantial resources will be devoted to meteorology and climate research. The scientists aim to find the connections between ongoing climate change and natural phenomena such as the Gulf Stream. If they succeed, long-range weather forecasts will become more reliable. Other projects address concerns such as contaminants and animal health. Researchers at the Norwegian Polar Institute have found indications that high contaminant levels are reducing the polar bear’s survival and reproductive abilities. Other researchers report similar problems among the indigenous populations in the Arctic whose diet (like that of polar bears) is dominated by sea mammals. This shows how important it is to survey and monitor the natural environment in the polar regions. The Norwegian Arctic (Svalbard and Jan Mayen) is one of the last relatively untouched wildernesses in the world. It is characterised by an extreme climate, where nature needs more time to repair damage caused by human intervention. The Norwegian authorities feel a special responsibility to manage this area in such a way that it will remain one of the world’s best preserved wildernesses. Norwegian scientists are also participating in a number of IPY projects in Antarctica, the coldest, windiest and driest continent in the world. 99% is covered by an ice sheet with an average thickness of about 2000 metres. Low solar radiation and high elevation make for very low temperatures. In the higher regions the average winter temperature is -70°C, while in summer it is -40°C. The coastal areas are milder, with -25°C in the winter and -2°C in the summer. In 1983, Russia’s Vostok Station in West Antarctic recorded a temperature of -89.6°C, the lowest ever recorded anywhere in the world. Antarctica has 91% of the world’s total ice mass and 86% of its fresh water in the form of ice. If the ice were to melt, the oceans of the world would rise by more than 60 metres.

Subjects: Research in Arctis Design: Sverre Morken
Photo: The Norwegian Polar Institute
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