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Station
Camp
Shelter
Laboratory
Station
Camp
Shelter
Laboratory

Background

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Polish Polar Station Hornsund

Arctic

Open

Station

Poland

Station

1957

Year-Round

Introduction

The Polish Polar Station in Hornsund is operated by the Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences.

The station is situated on the northern shore of the Hornsund Fjord in the South Spitsbergen National Park, Svalbard.

Pristine environment surrounds the station, where glaciers, mountains, valleys, lakes, and rivers are not affected by humans. In 2002, the Polish station, together with the Hornsund Fjord, was recognized as one of six the European Marine Biodiversity Flagship Sites (www.iopan.gda.pl/projects/biodaff). Tundra with many species of lichens, mosses, flowers, and shrubs occupy the raised marine terraces and the lower parts of the mountain slopes. Reindeers, Arctic foxes, and polar bears together with many bird species are living around the station.

The Polish Polar Station was established in 1957, as a winter base during the 3rd International Geophysical Year 1957/1958. In the 1970s, it was used by Polish research expeditions during summers only. The station was renovated in 1978 and has been in operation year-round since then. Today, the station is a modern research platform with access to well-equipped laboratories and satellite communication. Accommodation and research facilities for 20 visitors (in addition to the permanent staff of 10 persons) are available. There is also a well equipped workshop, a boat house, and a storage hall at the Station.

The research at the Polish Polar Station focuses on meteorology, glaciology, monitoring of geophysical fields (i.e. seismology, geomagnetism, atmospherical electricity), permafrost, and geomorphic processes. The main study objectives are related to the evolution of the high arctic environment with respect to Climate Change. Projects include research on mass and energy balance of glaciers, fluctuations and changes of their hydrothermal state, and dynamics of tidewater glaciers and their interaction with the ocean. Changes in marine and terrestrial ecosystems are systematically studied.

Longyearbyen, the administrative center and the largest settlement of Svalbard is located approximately 130 km from the Hornsund station.

There are no roads between other settlements on Svalbard and the Polish Polar Station in Hornsund. During the summer season, the Station can be reached by ships or yachts. Helicopter may be used all year-round but requires the Governor's landing permission. In spring, the Station can be reached by snow scooters, depending on sea ice and snow conditions.

Operator

Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences

Government

Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences

polar@igf.edu.pl, hornsund@igf.edu.pl

Data Source

Wlodzimierz Sielski

sielski@igf.edu.pl

Partner Institution

No

Location

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77° 0' 0'' N

15° 33' 0'' E

European Arctic

9

0

750

Longyearbyen

130

130

130

Ice-free ground

marine terrace

Climate

Continuous

High Arctic

Snow and Rain

453

6

45

E

-4

-10.2

-10

-10.3

-8.2

-2.5

2.1

4.5

4.2

1.7

-3.1

-6.2

-9.1

31/Jul/15

15.6

16/Jan/81

-35.9

April; May

June; July

May; June

July; August

Features

Biological features; Bird colonies; Blue ice; Clear air zone; Coast; Crevasse; Fauna; Fjord; Ice cap or glacier; Lake; Moraine; Mountain; Permanent snowpatches; Rivers; Rock; Sea; Sea ice; Shoreline; Snow; Tundra; Valley

Disciplines

Atmospheric chemistry and physics; Climatology; Climate change; Ecology; Environmental sciences; Geocryology; Geodesy; Geology; Geomorphology; Geophysics and seismology; GIS; Glaciology; Mapping; Marine biology; Microbiology; Oceanography; Pollution; Sedimentology; Social science; Terrestrial biology

Human Activities

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Infrastructure

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1550

120

Biology; Chemistry; Geology; Geophysics; Scientific diving

0

500

40

Yes

Yes

Fossil fuel

400

24

No

Staff Capacity

16

20

10

10

40

0

Scientific Equipment

Standard chemical laboratory equipment, Liquid Ion chromatography, Differential GPS, Geodetic surveying equipment, Automatic Weather Station, Seismometers, Flux gate

Technical support, chemical analyses

Glacier mass balance, Meteorology, Seismology, Earth magnetism, Hydrology, Oceanography, Atmospheric Physics

Medical Facilities

Yes

5

Non-medical trained person

1

Basic

130

1

1

0

130

Rifles, Signal pistols, first aid kits

Avalanche Beacon, Satellite phone

No

No

Vehicles

boats (vessels can anchor c. 500 m from the coastline)

Snowmobiles

Workshop facilities

Mechanical

Communications

Computer; E-mail; Internet; Printer; Satellite phone; Scanner; VHF

Access

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Air; Land; Sea

Aircraft landing facilities

0

0

0

Yes

Transport and freight

Helicopter; Ship; Skidoo

snowmobiles

3

June; July; August; September

None

Helipad

4

January; February; March; April; December

Access To The Facility

Yes

Yes

Wlodzimierz Sielski

sielski@igf.edu.pl

www.igf.edu.pl, www.hornsund.pl

Pictures

Building and rainbow (Credits: Liliana Keslinka-Nawrot)

Meaurements winter (Credits: Zbigniew Sobierajski)

Hornsund Lab (Credits: Adam Nawrot)

Aerial view of station (Credits: Adam Nawrot)

Glacier panorama with snowscooter (Credits: Marek Szymocha)

Lecture (Credits: Adam Nawrot)

Mountain top measuring station (Credits: Adam Nawrot)

(Credits: Witek Kaskin)

(Credits: Wlodzimierz Sielski)

(Credits: Witek Laszkin)

(Credits: Witek Laszkin)

(Credits: Witek Laszkin)