Svalbard Research
Academic studies with Svalbard as their subject. 753 studies since January 2025.
How this list is made
The list comes from OpenAlex, an open index of scholarly works.
Preprints and data sets are left out.
Each summary is the Wire's own sentence, written from the study's abstract and checked against it. A study with no abstract in the index has none.
Internasjonal forvaltning av Svalbardhekkende gjess
Describes the rapid growth of Svalbard-breeding pink-footed and barnacle geese populations and the international adaptive management plan aimed at stabilising them to reduce farm damage and tundra impacts.
Geometric image classification substructure and time series statistics of the Hornsund Fjord
Physicochemical Conditions Shaping Phytoplankton Development in Shallow Lakes of Bellsund During the Ablation Season, West Spitsbergen
Six shallow Bellsund lakes on Spitsbergen show low nutrients and sparse phytoplankton, dominated by green algae near the fjord, with physicochemistry shaping community composition during summer melt.
Echo character mapping and depositional processes on the western Svalbard continental margin
Maps four sub-bottom echo character types across the western Svalbard continental margin, slope, fjords and shelf, interpreting them as glacial, glaciomarine, turbidite and contourite deposits.
2. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault and Agrobiodiversity Conservation in Social- Scientific Research
3. Exploring the Naturalcultural History and Politics of Svalbard and the Global Seed Vault
Collecting Seeds, Assembling Worlds
A science-studies book examining the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, its role against crop diversity loss, and the Indigenous and artistic perspectives it brings together.
Elevation-Dependent Glacier Albedo Modelling Using Machine Learning and a Multi-Algorithm Satellite Approach in Svalbard
Models glacier surface albedo on Hansbreen and Werenskioldbreen in southern Svalbard during 2011 using AWS data, machine learning and Landsat validation, finding elevation-dependent model performance.
A capture–recapture framework for combining biologging data with physical captures to decompose and estimate demographic rates: Simulations across life cycles and application to polar bears
A Bayesian capture-recapture framework combining biologging with capture data is tested by simulation and applied to 38 years of Svalbard polar bear data, linking sea-ice loss to demographic declines.
Accumulation and secondary release of legacy Pb in high Arctic glaciers of Svalbard: Insights from Pb isotopes
Lead isotopes in Ny-Ålesund media and compiled Svalbard data show long-range atmospheric Pb is stored in glaciers and cryoconite, and glacier melt releases about 167 t/yr of mostly particulate Pb to fjords.
Recent and projected changes in rain-on-snow event characteristics across Svalbard
Using CARRA reanalysis and a km-scale regional model, the study finds rain-on-snow events in Svalbard are increasing in some areas and projects large future changes, including more events in April, under SSP5-8.5.
Constructing the Survival Story on Edge Island in Oral Narratives by Residents of Mezen
Oral accounts gathered in 2022 from Mezen residents show that the story of four fishermen stranded on Edge Island has survived chiefly among cultural and educational workers, while others have forgotten it or replaced it.
Microplastic and other anthropogenic particles in surface waters of the Isfjorden system (Svalbard)
Surface waters of Isfjorden and Adventfjorden near Longyearbyen were sampled for microplastics and other anthropogenic particles, finding 20–26 particles per litre and linking distribution to wastewater and ocean currents.
Using non-combustible residual particles as a proxy for mineral dust deposition to estimate its contribution to light absorption in the 300-year Holtedahlfonna ice core
Uses residual non-combustible particles in the Holtedahlfonna ice core (1700-1998) as a dust proxy, finding local dust sources linked to summer winds and temperature that drove light absorption changes.
Climatology and trends of fog in the Svalbard region
Combined effects of ocean acidification, warming, and salinity on the fertilization success in an Arctic population of sea urchins
Lab experiment on green sea urchins from Kongsfjorden finds warming and low pH shape fertilisation success, with temperature the dominant factor and salinity having no significant effect.
Observed positive feedback between surface ablation and crevasse formation drives glacier acceleration and potential surge
In-situ GNSS, borehole and seismic data on Kongsvegen glacier show surface melt-driven meltwater and crevassing created a positive feedback that initiated and expanded a surge.
Palaeoenvironment and new chemostratigraphic markers for the Middle Triassic succession in Svalbard
This study examined the Middle Triassic Botneheia Formation in Svalbard, combining sedimentology, geochemistry and palaeontology, and identified three carbon isotope excursions for the first time.
Retreat and volume loss of two rapidly vanishing Svalbard glaciers since 1938: Elsabreen and Ferdinandbreen, Petuniabukta
Two small Petuniabukta glaciers lost over 93% of area since the Little Ice Age and over 96% of volume since 1938, and are proposed for the Global Glacier Casualty List.
Sea Ice Thickness Reconstruction Using Icequake Waveform Inversion and Tomorgraphy
A thesis reconstructed daily sea ice thickness at Vallunden in Svalbard from icequake and active source seismic recordings, showing thinner ice at the centre and thicker ice toward the edges.
The Snow Avalanches That Hit Longyearbyen in 2015 and 2017 Led to Better Forecasts and Physical Barriers
Examines the December 2015 and February 2017 Sukkertoppen avalanches that hit Longyearbyen, covering the weather causes, rescue, media coverage, and resulting protective barriers and forecasting changes.
Benzotriazole UV stabilisers in ingested plastics and plasma of an Arctic seabird across a 24-year span
Benzotriazole UV stabilisers were found in plastics ingested by northern fulmars and in their blood plasma in Svalbard, with plastic-contamination trends examined across 1997 to 2021.
Halocline as an environmental barrier for the larvae of Arctic marine benthic invertebrates
Meroplankton larvae in Kongsfjorden and the adjacent shelf are distributed according to the halocline, with different larval assemblages above and below it, suggesting larvae as early indicators of change.
Dwelling Notes
An artist reflects on long-term filmmaking research in Svalbard, using live editing to resist idealising portrayals of the Arctic and to foreground collaborative, situated knowledge.
Ongoing changes in distribution of fish species and challenges to fisheries regulations in Isfjorden, Svalbard
Examines how shifting fish species in Isfjorden could open new commercial fisheries, finding current fragmented regulations ill-suited to manage these changes.
Secondary organic aerosol formation in the arctic (Ny-Ålesund) atmosphere during summer: inferences from water-soluble dicarboxylic acids and related compounds
Polar landscape tranformations of selected glaciers in Southwestern Spitsbergen based on Sentinel-1 AutoRift pixel tracking
Measures surface velocities of three southwestern Spitsbergen glaciers from 2018-2022 Sentinel-1 radar data, relating speed differences to glacier type, bedrock and weather.
Reappraisal of Pseudobornia ursina Nathorst: implications for the evolution and systematics of Palaeozoic sphenophytes
Re-examines Late Devonian fossils from Bjørnøya to redescribe the strobilus of the sphenophyte Pseudobornia ursina and place it within stem Equisetales.
Equal rights or exclusive control? The Svalbard Treaty in the age of change
Analyses whether the Svalbard Treaty's equal-rights provisions apply beyond the territorial sea, covering oil and gas, snow crab and Norway's jurisdiction, in light of a Norwegian Supreme Court ruling.
Contesting Arctic Frontiers: Svalbard's Treaty and the Geopolitics of the Northern Sea Route
Examines how the 1920 Svalbard Treaty's equal-rights and demilitarisation provisions are being contested amid Russia's Northern Sea Route development and Arctic militarisation.
Svalbard's Geopolitical Axis: Northern Sea Route Futures and Arctic Sovereignty Contestation
Analyses how the 1920 Svalbard Treaty, Northern Sea Route prospects, and competing Arctic sovereignty claims shape geopolitical tensions and governance around the archipelago.
The Svalbard Paradox: Sovereign Ambition and International Governance in the Northern Sea Route Era
Analyses the tension between Norway's sovereignty over Svalbard and the non-discriminatory rights of Svalbard Treaty signatories, especially as Northern Sea Route traffic grows.
Svalbard's Crucible: The Northern Sea Route and the Geopolitics of Arctic Territorial Reconfiguration
Critical geopolitical analysis of how growing Northern Sea Route traffic challenges Svalbard's 1920 treaty regime and could reshape territorial and security dynamics around the archipelago.
Svalbard's Geopolitical Stress Test: Northern Sea Route Expansion and the Shifting Architecture of Arctic Sovereignty
Analyses how growing Northern Sea Route traffic and great power competition may strain the 1920 Svalbard Treaty's sovereignty, demilitarisation and equal-access provisions, arguing for policy reassessment.
The Svalbard Crucible: Testing Treaty Diplomacy Against Northern Sea Route Statecraft in a Warming Arctic
Analyses how the 1920 Svalbard Treaty's non-discriminatory regime interacts with Russian unilateral claims over the Northern Sea Route as the Arctic warms.
Svalbard's Paradox: Treaty Law, the Northern Sea Route, and the Redefinition of Arctic Maritime Geopolitics
Analyses how the 1920 Svalbard Treaty's principles interact with growing Northern Sea Route shipping interest, arguing Arctic maritime law needs re-evaluation.
Svalbard as a Geopolitical Crucible: Treaty Governance Under Strain in the Northern Sea Route Era
Examines how Northern Sea Route shipping and great power competition are testing the 1920 Svalbard Treaty's non-discrimination and military provisions, via literature and policy document analysis.
Svalbard's Strategic Paradox: Treaty Law and Maritime Power Projection in the Northern Sea Route Era
Examines the Svalbard Treaty of 1920 and how its non-discrimination and demilitarisation principles may be strained by growing Arctic maritime power projection and NSR traffic.
Svalbard's Geopolitical Crucible: Re-mapping Sovereignty and Access Along the Northern Sea Route
Critically assesses how the 1920 Svalbard Treaty's sovereignty and access provisions are being reinterpreted amid Arctic melt opening the Northern Sea Route and rising geopolitical competition.
The Svalbard Treaty's Geopolitical Fault Lines: Northern Sea Route Expansion and the Future of Arctic Sovereignty
Analyses how Northern Sea Route expansion and rising Arctic interest strain the 1920 Svalbard Treaty's sovereignty, resource, demilitarisation and cooperation provisions.
Trait-based analysis of meiobenthic foraminifera in a glacier-influenced fjord: Krossfjord, Svalbard
Distinct characteristics and mechanisms of two tidewater glaciers exhibiting velocity anomalies in western Svalbard
Compares a surge of Tunabreen with sustained acceleration of Osbornebreen, two western Svalbard tidewater glaciers, finding surge was subglacially driven while Osbornebreen's speed-up was likely ocean and atmosphere forced.
"Disappearing Glaciers of Svalbard: A Polish Research Legacy" - Session Presentations (Arctic Circle Assembly 2025)
A set of presentations from an Arctic Circle 2025 session reviewing decades of Polish glacier monitoring across several Svalbard sites, documenting retreat and landscape change.
Morphological Structure and Some Physicochemical Properties of Soils in West Svalbard Maritime Cryogenic Landscapes
Describes and classifies nineteen soil profiles around Grønfjord (Barentsburg) and Colesbay in West Svalbard, finding cryozems, petrozems and sulfide solonchaks along marine terraces and lowlands, plus water chemistry contrasts.
Hydrochemical characteristics of the European Arctic waters in the summer of 2021
Summer 2021 hydrochemical survey of waters around Svalbard finds oxygen and nutrient distributions differ between Atlantic and Arctic water masses, with surface nutrient depletion in August.
SVALPEN Svalbard Radar Snow Penetration Experiment
A 24 GHz radar on Svalbard detected ice layers under deep snow, reaching glacial ice at 140 cm, but liquid water on the surface blocked its signal.
Effect of Surface Covers on Heat Fluxes to the Soil in West Spitsbergen
Modelling and field soil-temperature data in West Spitsbergen show how snow and moss covers control winter heat loss and summer heat gain, determining whether permafrost stays stable or degrades.
Role of Turbulent Fuxes in the Surface Energy Balance of Glaciers of the Central Spitsbergen: The Case of Aldegondabreen
Tests the aerodynamic method for turbulent heat fluxes against eddy covariance on Aldegondabreen in August 2022, finding roughness lengths and a 14% underestimate, and shows shortwave dominates the summer energy balance.
Crustal Heterogeneity Onshore Spitsbergen: Data Integration and Forward Modeling of Potential Field Data
Gravity and magnetic forward models along seismic lines in central Spitsbergen reveal basement topography, Billefjorden Fault Zone position, and HALIP-related igneous bodies.
Questionnaires and acoustic measurements in summer season in Longyearbyen area
GNSS sites at Hornsund reveal increase of land uplift rate due to recent acceleration of deglaciation at Svalbard
Twenty years of GNSS data at Hornsund show land uplift rising from 9.0 to 11.5 mm/yr, attributed to accelerating glacier ice loss on Svalbard and mostly to southern Spitsbergen glaciers.
Temporal glacier velocity variations and their controlling factors in the Nathorstbreen glacier system, Svalbard
Measures annual surface velocity of the Nathorstbreen glacier system from Landsat 8 images, 2014–2023, and links velocity changes to terminus fluctuations, temperature, precipitation and snowfall.
Environmental Gradients Shape Fungal Diversity and Functional Traits in Arctic Biocrusts
Metagenomic survey of fungal diversity and guilds in Kongsfjorden biocrusts finds Ascomycota dominant, guild composition stable across elevation, but fjord location shaping community structure.
Methylobacter arcticus sp. nov. isolated from a coal mine biofilm in the high Arctic Svalbard
A methane-eating bacterium isolated from a biofilm in a Svalbard coal mine was found to be a new species, distinct from its closest relatives in genome comparisons, and lacking nitrogen-fixing genes.
Year-round acoustic presence of fin whales southwest of Svalbard suggests mixed-use habitat for feeding and breeding
Year-long passive acoustic recordings southwest of Svalbard show fin whale calls present nearly all year, peaking in fall, linked to krill, copepods and sea ice.
From Treaty to Thoroughfare: Svalbard's Geopolitical Paradox and the Emergent Arctic Maritime Order
Analyses how the 1920 Svalbard Treaty's equal-access principles are being tested by Norwegian sovereignty, Arctic shipping routes, resource competition and great-power interests.
Carbon in an Arctic fjord: sea ice carbon transformations and CO2 linkages
Examines how sea ice melt in Kongsfjorden delivers dissolved and particulate carbon, tracing CDOM optical changes and linking them to CO2 via photodegradation and microbial remineralisation.
The Svalbard Dilemma and the Northern Sea Route: Geopolitical Tectonics in the High Arctic.
Qualitative geopolitical analysis of how the Northern Sea Route's growing viability interacts with the 1920 Svalbard Treaty's sovereignty and equal-access provisions, arguing for stronger governance.
The Svalbard Anomaly: Geopolitical Calculus of the Northern Sea Route
Analyses how Svalbard's 1920 Treaty legal status and Norwegian sovereignty shape geopolitics, governance and security along the Northern Sea Route as Arctic ice melts.
Weathering dynamics and micro-scale biogeomorphology in the proglacial environment of Midtre Lovénbreen, Spitsbergen
Researchers tracked weathering on glacier-scarred gneiss across a foreland at Midtre Lovénbreen in Svalbard, finding roughness rose and reflectance fell with time since deglaciation, while local conditions and microbes shaped the changes.
Summer and autumn photosynthetic activity in High Arctic biological soil crusts and their winter recovery
Biological soil crusts at three Svalbard altitudes showed photosynthesis in early autumn and subzero winter conditions, with rapid recovery after thaw and light-stress gene expression.
Ice-nucleating particles at Ny-Ålesund: a study of condensation freezing by the Dynamic Filter Processing Chamber
Measured ambient ice nucleating particles at Gruvebadet, Ny-Ålesund over 2018–2020, finding summer peaks at -15 °C, spring sources mostly from outside the Arctic, and local marine and terrestrial sources in summer and autumn.
Rapid Forward and Reverse Weathering Reactions Drive Cryptic Silica and Cation Cycling in Arctic Fjord Sediments
Pore-water and incubation study in Kongsfjorden sediments finds rapid forward and reverse weathering reactions that cycle silica and cations and mute net benthic fluxes.
Seasonal interplay of water mass mixing and nutrient dynamics in an Arctic fjord: a case study of Kongsfjorden, Svalbard
Seasonal water mass mixing and nutrient depletion in Kongsfjorden show spring nutrient-replete conditions shifting to biologically limited summer surface waters, with nutrient drawdown quantified.
Basal ice but not summer temperature affects land surface greenness in parts of the landscape in high Arctic tundra
Satellite NDVI in Svalbard 2013-2023 shows basal ice presence at high elevations lowers tundra greenness and advances peak greenness timing, while ice thickness and summer warmth had no clear effect.
Seasonal and interannual variability on the chemical composition of the Svalbard surface snowpack
Snow chemistry sampled 2018–2021 at Gruvebadet in Ny-Ålesund shows ion and element levels driven by sea spray during a cold, sea-ice-rich winter, contrasting with warmer years.
Relative importance of nanoflagellate grazing and viral lysis for the mortality of heterotrophic bacteria and Synechococcus spp. in a high-latitude fjord (Adventfjorden, Svalbard) during the summer
Dilution experiments in Adventfjorden found nanoflagellate grazing dominated bacterial and Synechococcus mortality, with viral abundance inversely related to salinity, suggesting meltwater effects.
Earliest oceanic tetrapod ecosystem reveals rapid complexification of Triassic marine communities
Researchers describe a condensed bone bed on Spitsbergen dated to about 249 million years ago, showing that marine tetrapods formed a surprisingly complex food web within roughly three million years after the end-Permian extinction.
Arctic macrosources of the microplastic pollution (Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen): Spectral characterization and first insight into the fungal diversity on the arctic plastisphere
Macroplastic litter on Longyearbyen beaches was found to fragment into microplastics, and fungi were isolated from the plastic surfaces, including four taxa not previously recorded on Svalbard.
Contested wilderness: The importance of narratives in shaping environmental and tourism governance under a changing climate in Svalbard, Norway
Interviews, workshops and policy analysis show how competing narratives of Svalbard's wilderness and future shape the conflict over proposed tourism and environmental regulation amendments in Longyearbyen.
A Pilot Investigation of the Hidden Communities Associated With Dryas octopetala L. (Rosaceae) in Svalbard Using DNA Metabarcoding
DNA metabarcoding of non-fungal eukaryotes living on and around Dryas octopetala at Vindodden, Svalbard, found more phyla in the phyllosphere than the rhizosphere.
Seasonal variations of recent benthic foraminifera in the surface sediments of Kongsfjorden, Svalbard
Exploring the relationships between coastal vulnerability and socio-economic variables in the context of climate change using geoinformatics for the region of Longyearbyen, Svalbard
Combines coastal vulnerability and social vulnerability indices, using equal weights and AHP weighting, to assess Longyearbyen's coastline under climate change.
Analysis of glacier mass balance trends using geodetic methods in the Svalbard archipelago
Geodetic analysis of 163 Svalbard glacier basins finds archipelago-wide mass loss of about 7.2 Gt/yr from 2003 to 2023, accelerating in the later decade and concentrated in tidewater glaciers.
Neoproterozoic stromatolite mineralogy in Murchisonfjorden (Svalbard, Norway) reflecting variable depositional environments
Anesthetic and analgesic management of Svalbard rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta hyperborea) undergoing experimental stereotaxic neurosurgery
Develops and tests an anesthetic and analgesic protocol for stereotaxic brain surgery in Svalbard rock ptarmigan, reporting feasibility, pain monitoring, and tracer placement accuracy.
Arktis im Wandel. Strategien der Sichtbarmachung der Gletscherschmelze bei Tyrone Martinsson und Julian Charrière
Tyrone Martinsson recreated historical photographs of Svalbard glaciers from identical viewpoints, revealing ice retreat, while Julian Charrière's sculptures worked with erratic boulders left by retreating glaciers.
Taphonomic Completeness: A new metric for assessing fossil leaf preservation using the Spitsbergen Cenozoic fossil flora
Glacial Influence on Micronutrient Cycling in Arctic Fjords: Seasonal and Spatial Variability in Svalbard
Contemporary Climatic and Non-climatic Disturbances Affect the Heterogeneous Growth of Salicaceae in Spitsbergen
Tracking Glacier Extent and Surging on Svalbard with Sentinel-1 InSAR Coherence and Backscatter Amplitude
Legacy of Coal Mining: Trace Element Contamination in Soils from Billefjord, Svalbard
Impact of Climate Warming on Glaciers in Central Spitsbergen, Svalbard – a 25-year Perspective
Variation in the Guano-Derived Resources for Marine Producers Below Seabird Colonies in Svalbard
Estimation of Seasonal and Interannual Freshwater Input to Brepollen (Svalbard)
Over a Decade of Changes in the Diet Composition of Little Auk Chicks – a Case Study from Hornsund between 2011 and 2024
“Spitsbergen Challenge" – Educational Project for Students of Technical Universities
Is Sørkapp Land an Island? The Hornbreen–Hambergbreen Coast Formation in Svalbard in Light of the Cosmocentric Principle
Ice Mass Variation at Svalbard Observed by GNSS Sites Position Changes
Uses long-term GNSS station position changes on Svalbard, with crustal properties, to infer ice mass loss, agreeing with glaciological estimates but struggling to resolve regional differences.
Unprecedented Radioactive Pollution in Spitsbergen Air during the 21st Century
Glacial Lakes as Forms Sensitive to Seasonal Change using the Example of a lake in the Ragnarbreen Foreland, Central Spitsbergen
Land to Sea Biogeochemical Fluxes in a Changing Arctic: Insights from Svalbard
Post-Little Ice Age Evolution of Moraine-controlled Paraglacial Lagoons in Svalbard – Rates, Landforms and Geoecological Significance
Assessment of Anthropogenic Pollution Associated with Intensified Tourist Activity in the Longyearbyen Area (Svalbard, Arctic)
Coastal Landscape Dynamics of Eastern Svalbard since the End of the 20th Century
Modern Optical Tools Reveal Characteristics of Foraging Areas of Zooplanktivorous Little Auks Alle alle on the Western Spitsbergen Shelf
Variability of Organic Carbon and Nitrogen Concentrations in the Snow Cover of a Non-glaciated Catchment in Svalbard
Glacial Lakes as Indicators of Environmental Change: Insights from the Kaffiøyra Plain (Svalbard, Arctic)
The Coastal and Marine Ecosystem of Woodfjorden, Northern Svalbard
Long-term Transformation of the Polar Coast Environment in NW Spitsbergen based on Modern Photogrammetric Measurements and Remote Sensing Techniques
Puzzles from the Arctic – deciphering temporal distribution, ecological niche and life history of two Appendicularia species in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard Islands
Sediment-trap time series from 2010 to 2023 in Kongsfjorden shows how two appendicularian species appear, grow and reproduce through the year, linked to water mass and seasonal conditions.
HYDROGEOLOGICAL PARAMETERS AND WATER-BEARING CAPACITY OF THE PERMAFROST ACTIVE LAYER IN THE STEINVIK CATCHMENT AREA (SW SPITSBERGEN)
Measures hydraulic conductivity and grain size of the permafrost active layer in the Steinvik catchment in SW Spitsbergen, characterising summer subsurface water flow.
Tracing natural, anthropogenic, and biomass burning contributions to Arctic aerosol combining daily chemical characterization and receptor modeling analysis
Daily PM10 samples at Ny-Ålesund from February to October 2015 were chemically analysed and source-apportioned, finding mostly natural sources, Arctic Haze anthropogenic peaks, and episodic wildfire smoke.
Evaluation of Polar-WRF microphysics schemes for simulations of lower atmospheric processes in the Svalbard region, Arctic
Mesoscale atmospheric processes over an Arctic fjord as observed during a research aircraft campaign in winter
Aircraft observations in March 2013 over Wijdefjorden show how orographic channelling and an ice breeze shape winter near-surface winds and temperatures, and that the CARRA reanalysis mishandles the fjord's sea ice.
The coastal and marine carbon cycle and ecosystem structure of Woodfjorden, northern Svalbard.
The influence of local winds on wind power characteristics in a High Arctic valley
Wind profiler and weather station observations in Adventdalen show low-level jets driven by local thermal gradients, creating a wind power maximum at 120-140 m height.
Bird impacts on ecological structure, composition and function in Arctic ponds
Six Svalbard ponds sampled in 2022 show that bird impact raises nutrients and phytoplankton biomass, shifts community composition, and reduces zooplankton and taxa diversity.
The urgency to adopt the One Health framework for pollution and pandemic management in the Arctic: Svalbard as a case
The brief argues that Arctic decision-makers should adopt One Health thinking, linking people, animals and environments, illustrated through Svalbard's experience with contamination and infectious disease risks.
Ultra‐Fast Measurements of Precipitating Electrons in Earth's Cusp—A Source of Flickering Aurora Near 1 R E
Sounding rocket launched from Svalbard measured millisecond-scale precipitating electron features in dayside cusp aurora, with source altitudes inferred via time-of-flight analysis.
High-frequency broadband active acoustic systems as a tool for high-latitude glacial fjord research
Tests broadband 160–240 kHz echosounders in Hornsund fjord, Svalbard, to map water-column mixing, glacier terminus processes and turbulent dissipation rates.
Svalbard Rock Vault: towards safeguarding geological cores and borehole data
Describes the Svalbard Rock Vault project to preserve and digitise drill cores, cuttings and borehole data from Svalbard and proposes a physical core storage facility near Longyearbyen.
Wildfire, ecosystem, and climate interactions in the Early Triassic
Uses polyaromatic hydrocarbons in Spitsbergen shales to show wildfire activity rose after the Smithian-Spathian boundary, about 250 million years ago, linked to climate and vegetation change.
Influence of Climate Change on Sedimentation Processes of the Spitsbergen Archipelago in the Late Holocene (by the Example of the Little Ice Age and Modern Warming)
Summarises long-term geochronology of Spitsbergen sediments, showing lakes, fjords and shelf deposits respond to Little Ice Age and modern warming, with most Late Holocene sediment formed in warm periods.
Influence of climate change on the distribution of mercury and selected toxic metals in an Arctic Fjord
Surface sediments of Kongsfjorden sampled 2017–2019 show higher toxic metal levels in the outer fjord; Hg and Pb mainly from long-range transport, with As and Cd of moderate ecological risk.
Accelerated mass loss of Austre Lovénbreen glacier, Svalbard: Drivers and thresholds
A 14-year glaciological mass balance record for Austre Lovénbreen in Ny-Ålesund shows mean loss of -0.47 m w.e./yr, with 65% of loss below 200 m a.s.l.
Characterizing Snowdrift Events at Bayelva Station, Spitsbergen
Characterises 73 snowdrift events at Bayelva station over one season using acoustic snow flux sensor data, finding one event supplies half the season's snow transport.
Sub-centennially resolved reconstruction of surface temperature on High Arctic Svalbard for the past 13,000 years
Lake sediment alkenone record from Svalbard reconstructs 13,000 years of spring temperatures, finding Early Holocene peak warmth up to 3.5 °C above today, comparable to projected 2100 warming.
Mechanisms of warm-water intrusions onto the West Spitsbergen Shelf during winter
Model study of how winter Atlantic Water from the West Spitsbergen Current intrudes onto the West Spitsbergen Shelf via Ekman transport, upwelling and topographic steering, with intrusion depth set by density contrast.
Unraveling Arctic submicron organic aerosol sources: a year-long study by H-NMR and AMS in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard
A year-long PM1 filter study in Ny-Ålesund found organic aerosol is mainly Eurasian pollution in winter-spring and marine biogenic plus wildfire material in summer.
Coastal Vulnerability Assessment in Svalbard region of the Arctic exploiting geoinformation technologies and a cloud-based platform
Maps coastal vulnerability in part of Svalbard using a Coastal Vulnerability Index, with Landsat-derived coastlines processed in Google Earth Engine for 2014–2023 shoreline change.
Machine learning for mapping glacier surface facies in Svalbard
Compares Random Forest, neural network and SVM classifiers on WorldView-3 imagery to map glacier surface facies on Midtre Lovénbreen, with Random Forest reaching 85% accuracy.
Biochemistry of Arctic kelp specimens is conditioned by the local environment
Saccharina latissima kelp from eight Svalbard fjords show site-specific biochemical differences, driven mainly by run-off turbidity and light rather than temperature.
Submarine groundwater discharge and gas hydrate dissociation fuel organic matter formation in Arctic fjord sediments
Sediments from 24 stations in three West Spitsbergen fjords show porewater freshening from meteoric water or gas hydrates, with unusual organic carbon and nitrogen isotopes suggesting microbial methane use.
Advancing Sustainable Tourism in Svalbard by Assessing and Prioritizing Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs )
Web caps Cortinarius and Phlegmacium (Agaricales, Cortinariaceae) in Svalbard and on Bear Island
Researchers identified 33 web cap species from Svalbard and Bear Island using herbarium specimens and fresh collections, combining morphology with ITS barcoding, and found two of the newly defined genera present.
Bisphenol A and selected alkylphenols in macrozoobenthos from the Arctic fjords of Spitsbergen (Svalbard Archipelago)
The Storfjorden earthquake sequence: role of inherited crustal heterogeneity
Ocean bottom seismometer profile and gravity-magnetic modelling across the 2008 Storfjorden earthquake zone reveal crustal domains and a Caledonian suture that likely controls oblique faulting.
Vertical evolution of precipitation and associated atmospheric parameters at Ny-Å lesund (78°55′N, 11°56′E) in the Arctic
Micromelt sampling of the glacier algal nutrient environment
Sampling the thin meltwater film where glacier algae live on three Svalbard glaciers in 2023 shows nutrient and ion levels differ from bulk ice samples, though all stay oligotrophic.
Zooplankton seasonal variability in Arctic fjord during cold and warm events – taxonomic and trait-based approaches (Kongsfjorden, Svalbard)
Tracing emerging contaminants in the Arctic cryosphere: Insights from Spitsbergen (Svalbard Archipelago)
Primary coarse cancellous bone in Grippia longirostris and another ichthyosauriform from the Lower Triassic of Svalbard
Two Lower Triassic humeri from Svalbard, one assigned to Grippia longirostris, were found to show fast-grown bone with coarse spongy interiors and differ from each other.
Plant–soil interactions in a deglaciated landscape: roots reflect environmental severity
Study of Salix polaris root exudation and nutrient content in soils of different ages on the Nordenskiöld glacier forefield, showing more exudation under harsher conditions.
Upwelling Ion Observation from the Earth's Upper Atmosphere During EISCAT Svalbard Radar and FAST Satellite Conjunctions
Seven conjunction events between the FAST satellite and the EISCAT Svalbard Radar observed ionospheric ion upflow, mostly driven by electron precipitation, with CUTLASS radar validation.
Dental and Dietary Disparity Among Marine Vertebrates from the Early Triassic (Spathian) of Svalbard – Life Bites the Dust, or A New Hope?
Study of tooth and dental material from Early Triassic marine reptiles and fish in Svalbard, examining their diversity and diets during post-extinction ecosystem recovery.
Devonian tropical plant assemblages from Arctic Svalbard
Documents Silurian to Frasnian plant fossils from Svalbard, tracing the shift from low-lying early vascular plants to tree-dominated forests in the Mimerdalen Subgroup.
Genomic and phenotypic characterization of Rhodopseudomonas sp. strain RCAM05734 isolated from Svalbard permafrost
A bacterial strain isolated from Holocene permafrost near Isfjorden is sequenced and found genomically distinct, possibly a novel Rhodopseudomonas species with nitrogen-fixing and aromatic-degrading genes.
CHLOROPLAST SEQUESTRATION BY BENTHIC FORAMINIFERS IN DEEP-SHELF SEDIMENTS OF THE HIGH ARCTIC
Sediment cores from a 380-m deep site off southern Svalbard show four benthic foraminifera species retaining diatom-derived chloroplasts, including first kleptoplasty records for Buccella and Robertina.
Phytoplankton Blooms on the Barents Shelf, Svalbard, Associated With the Permian–Triassic Mass Extinction
Lipid biomarkers in Lusitaniadalen, Svalbard rock record show phytoplankton blooms after the Permian–Triassic mass extinction, suggesting high-latitude refugia.
Microbial Communities in Sediments From Different Landform Systems, Svalbard
Compares microbial communities and extracellular polymeric substances in supra- and subglacial sediments from surge-type and other glaciers across 10 Svalbard glaciers, finding distinct communities but similar diversity and EPS levels.
Svalbard in the Geopolitical and Geoeconomic Space
This work traces how Svalbard came to hold its special international legal status and reviews the archipelago's economic activities, enterprises, and promising sectors, using data from 2022 and 2023.
Chemical Composition and Mixing State of Wintertime Aerosol from the European Arctic Site of Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard
Microspectroscopy of 25,254 wintertime aerosol particles at Ny-Ålesund finds sea salt dominates (~85%), with aged sea salt, sea salt-dust mixtures, and sulphur/nitrogen uptake affecting cloud and ice nucleation.
Interannual variability of snow cover characteristics of the GrØnfjord basin (Spitsbergen) at the beginning of the XXI century
Analyses 2000–2024 snow surveys in the Grønfjord basin near Barentsburg, finding no significant trends in snow height, density or water equivalent, and sensitivity to precipitation or temperature varying with elevation.
Birds of the new periglacial territories of Grønfjord Bay (Spitsbergen)
Surveys in 2022–2024 of Grønfjord Bay found 26 bird species, nine using newly deglaciated moraine land with periglacial lakes, which birds occupy slowly.
Spatial distribution, temporal trends, and environmental fate of legacy contaminants in the cryosphere of Spitsbergen, Svalbard Islands
Measures PCBs and legacy and current-use pesticides in snow and ice cores from three Spitsbergen glaciers over two spring campaigns, and estimates contaminant release from melt.
Interannual analysis of noise levels and spectral trends in the marine soundscape of Kongsfjorden, Svalbard
Two years of underwater acoustic recordings at 76 m in inner Kongsfjorden show low human noise below 160 Hz, environmental sounds dominating, and significant year-to-year differences in noise levels.
Scene-to-Scene classification variability in spatiotemporal glacier surface facies mapping in Svalbard
Decade-long optical satellite mapping (2013-2023) of glacier surface facies on Vestre Broggerbreen shows shadowed snow and dirty ice distort unsupervised classification results.
Lichens in the vicinity of Colesdalen, one of the “hot spots” of the Svalbard archipelago
A survey of lichens around Colesdalen on Svalbard found 234 known species there, with 112 reported for the first time in the region and nine new to Svalbard.
Characterisation of wood decay and fungal diversity in cultural heritage cable car pylons in Svalbard
Study of wood decay fungi in historic cable car pylons in Svalbard, combining DNA metabarcoding, microscopy, and chemical analysis, identifying several new fungal species for the region.
Seasonal patterns and environmental drivers of protistan plankton along a terrestrial–marine gradient in Isfjorden (Svalbard)
Protistan plankton in Isfjorden shift from diatom-linked spring blooms to small flagellates under meltwater-driven stratification, turbidity and light limitation during 2018.
«Arktisk blokade»: en russisk informasjonsoperasjon mot Norge
Case study of a 2022 Russian information operation against Norway, targeting Norwegian sovereignty over Svalbard and the Barents Sea delimitation agreement.
Sphagnum talbotianum R.E.Andrus, a new peatmoss species of Norway from Svalbard
Reports Sphagnum talbotianum, a peatmoss species new to Svalbard, based on revised herbarium specimens, and considers how climate change could enable more Sphagnum species to establish there.
Analysis of Glacial Front Dynamics in Hornsund Fjord (Svalbard) Over 30 Years Using Landsat Multispectral Imagery
From 1992 to 2023, Landsat images tracked glacier fronts in Hornsund Fjord, Svalbard, with average retreat of 12 m/year at Körberbreen and over 79 m/year at Storbreen.
Measuring Arctic Ice-Nucleating Particle Concentrations from Preserved Filters
Develops and validates a method to measure ice-nucleating particle concentrations from archived Arctic aerosol filters collected in 2001-2020 at sea and at the Zeppelin Observatory near Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard.
Spatial overlap among harbour, ringed and bearded seals in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, during the post-moulting foraging period
GPS and dive tracking of harbour, ringed and bearded seals in Kongsfjorden shows large spatial overlap but habitat and dive-depth segregation, suggesting no current competition.
Natural carbonation in alkali basalts: Geochemical evolution of Ca–Mg–Fe carbonates at Sverrefjellet, Svalbard
Studies hydrothermal Ca-Mg-Fe carbonate cements in Quaternary alkali basalts at Sverrefjellet volcano, Svalbard, tracing their zoning and crystallisation stages as natural CO2 mineralisation.
Unfreezing the past: near Pan-Svalbard assessment of cryospheric hazards to Arctic cultural heritage
Archipelago-wide assessment finds over half of Svalbard's protected cultural heritage sites are exposed to retrogressive thaw slumps and thermo-erosion gullies, with Nordenskiöld Land the highest-risk region.
Above-Cliff Tundra Reveals Hidden Seabird Footprint: Evidence from Bjørnøya (Svalbard)
Seabird guano carried by wind fertilises tundra above Bjørnøya's colonies, raising soil nutrients and plant cover compared with reference tundra.
The fjords of the ringed seal : assessing the status of ringed seals in western Svalbard through machine learning
Drone surveys in three western Svalbard fjords, analysed with a YOLOv8-based detector, show ringed seal abundance declining over two decades in two fjords and confirmed in a third.
Experience of compiling an archaeological collection in the Barentsburg Museum (Spitsbergen)
Describes how an archaeological collection of 16th–19th century artifacts (Pomor, whaling and Chichagov expedition finds) was compiled and displayed at the Pomor Museum in Barentsburg.
Climate, Fjord Morphology, and Oceanographic Controls on Glacier Retreat and Sedimentation in Bellsund, Southwestern Svalbard
Sediment core and subbottom acoustic data from Bellsund reconstruct deglacial glacier retreat, fjord controls, and Holocene sedimentation in southwestern Svalbard since about 15 ka BP.
Inter- and intra-annual differences in foraging ecology of the chick-rearing Brünnich’s guillemots ( Uria lomvia ) breeding in the High Arctic
GPS tracking and satellite remote sensing show Brünnich's guillemots breeding near Svalbard foraged in cold shelf waters up to 100 km away, with foraging shifting across warm and cold years.
Acoustic evidence of year-round sperm whale foraging, population structure, and sex-specific migration near Svalbard
Passive acoustic recordings off southwest Svalbard show sperm whales click year-round, with summer-fall peaks, size shifts toward adult males in winter, and suggested sex-specific migration.
Quantifying floridean starch storage patterns in Arctic rhodoliths: blue carbon implications
Measures floridean starch storage in Arctic rhodolith coralline algae from Svalbard, finding shallow-water rhodoliths store more starch, driven mainly by depth, light and turnover.
Changes in Ocean Current Characteristics Due to Freshwater Discharge from Fjord Regions
A high-resolution FVCOM model of Kongsfjorden for 2007 shows glacier meltwater runoff drives a strong upstream bottom current and a rotational circulation near the fjord mouth, alongside the West Spitsbergen Current.
Contrôle social et construction identitaire en URSS post-stalinienne. Une socio-histoire des communautés soviétiques du Svalbard
Sedimentary organic carbon dynamics in a glaciated Arctic fjord: tracing contributions of terrestrial and marine sources in the context of Atlantification over recent centuries
Sediment cores from Kongsfjorden show marine organic carbon accumulation rising in recent decades, linked to increased Atlantic Water inflow, using carbon isotopes and lignin markers.
Genome sequence analysis provides evidence that a boreal crustacean colonised Svalbard well before the ongoing Atlantification of the Arctic
Genomic analysis of the boreal acorn barnacle on Svalbard indicates it colonised the archipelago during the late Holocene Thermal Optimum, long before human-driven warming.
Clarifying the marine limit in Northern Spitsbergen and its implications for coastal lake archives
A comment argues the post-glacial marine limit around Lake Berglivatnet in northern Spitsbergen exceeded 46 m, meaning the lake basin was once marine and its sediment record is more complex.
Reply to: Clarifying the marine limit in Northern Spitsbergen and its implications for coastal lake archives
A reply to a critique of a study on Åsgardfonna ice cap persistence in the Holocene Thermal Maximum, arguing lake sediments show no marine influence despite a possibly higher postglacial marine limit.
Observation of discarded appendicularian houses in the benthic and pelagic zones of Spitsbergen fjords using drop-camera imagery
Drop-camera surveys from 2015 to 2021 found abandoned Oikopleura appendicularian houses covering Spitsbergen fjord seabeds at high densities, suggesting a notable benthic-pelagic carbon link.
Suppression of ion heating in the cusp during plasma flow burst
Uses EISCAT Svalbard Radar, all-sky imaging and Swarm data to show ion heating in the cusp is suppressed during a plasma flow burst, supported by simulations.
Svalbard’s 2024 record summer: An early view of Arctic glacier meltdown?
Record 2024 summer melt on Svalbard glaciers lost about 61.7 Gt of ice, exceeding previous observations and contributing measurably to sea-level rise.
Surveying marine biodiversity using eDNA metabarcoding of seawater and sediment in a high Arctic fjord during the polar night (Kongsfjorden, Svalbard)
eDNA metabarcoding of Kongsfjorden seawater and sediment during polar night recovered a broad eukaryotic community, including gelatinous zooplankton, and tested PCR inhibition from turbid water.
Influence of meteorological and cosmic conditions on dose rate in the environment of the Polish Polar station Hornsund
Nine years of gamma and cosmic radiation dose-rate measurements at Hornsund show levels comparable to global averages, with snow cover reduction raising gamma dose rates.
Multiple factors controlling polar willow growth in the high Arctic (Svalbard): Implications for future prediction of tundra productivity
Dendrochronology and NDVI of the dwarf shrub Salix polaris in central Spitsbergen show growth differs by elevation, with valley sites responding to June warmth and drought stress, and high sites to moisture from permafrost.
The Genomic Basis of the Svalbard Reindeer's Adaptation to an Extreme Arctic Environment
Genome scans comparing Svalbard reindeer with mainland reindeer identify 150 differentiated genomic regions linked to fat metabolism, cold tolerance, body size, fur and circadian rhythm.
Proof of concept for Orogenic Bridge Theory in the Fram Strait using U–Pb geochronology of syn-kinematic carbonates
U–Pb dating of syn-kinematic carbonate veins on the Kongsfjorden–Cowanodden fault zone shows Timanian thrusting, Caledonian, Eurekan and Fram Strait transform faulting phases across western Svalbard.
Unveiling the molecular mechanisms of the stress resilience of High Arctic Klebsormidium flaccidum : a multifaceted study
A green alga isolated from Svalbard biological soil crusts is studied for stress tolerance to nitrogen starvation, cold, desiccation and freezing, revealing molecular resilience mechanisms.
Observations of Activation of the Blomstrand Glacier in the North of Western Spitsbergen according to Data from a Single Seismic Station
A seismic swarm of over 9000 small icequakes recorded by one station was localised to the ablation zone of Blomstrand Glacier, linked to stick-slip motion before a large calving-related surge.
‘None of Us Had Ever Seen the Midnight Sun Before’: History of the First Swedish Air Force Mission in the Arctic (1928)
A transnational history of the 1928 Swedish Air Force rescue mission to Svalbard that searched for the crashed airship Italia's survivors.
Estimating Sea Ice Algal Biomass in Svalbard Fjords Using Underwater Hyperspectral Imaging: Integrating Laboratory and Field Calibration Approaches
Tests an underwater hyperspectral imager with normalised difference indexes to map sea-ice algal chlorophyll a at fine scales in Svalbard fjords, calibrated with lab cultures and field samples.
Offspring number, size, and survival: State‐dependent optimization of litter size in a long‐lived capital breeder
Using 34 years of data on Svalbard polar bears, the study finds litter size depends on mother's age and size, with cub survival traded off against litter size.
Phaeotremella polaris T. Zhang & J. J. Feng 2025, sp. nov.
Describes a new cold-adapted yeast species, Phaeotremella polaris, isolated from a polar (Svalbard-origin) source, with its culture and physiological traits.
Dioszegia dongchenii T. Zhang & J. J. Feng 2025, sp. nov.
Describes a new basidiomycete yeast species, Dioszegia dongchenii, isolated from a vascular plant in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, with its physiological traits and type specimen.
Genolevuria ovata T. Zhang & J. J. Feng 2025, sp. nov.
Describes a new yeast species, Genolevuria ovata, isolated from a vascular plant in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, based on its cell morphology and physiological tests.
Skadia corniformis T. Zhang & J. J. Feng 2025, sp. nov.
Describes a new yeast species, Skadia corniformis, isolated from freshwater at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, with its cell shape, growth and metabolic traits.
Metal bioaccumulation and physiological responses of Arctic lichens under climate change and pollution
Lichens collected in Svalbard in 1985 and 2023 were compared for metal content and usnic acid, revealing rising manganese and nickel in several samples, and usnic acid linked to photosynthetic activity differently across two species.
Geomorphic evidence of extreme events in the High Arctic (Wedel Jarlsberg Land, Svalbard)
Describes a mud-debris-flow alluvial fan from Steinvik Valley and a possible postglacial landslide on Jens Erikfjellet in Wedel Jarlsberg Land, dated using raised marine terraces.
Crustal structure of the North Svalbard margin: Continental breakup and Eurasia Basin opening
Seven crustal transects combining potential field data and 2D modelling show North Svalbard margin segmentation and a rift-shear breakup that preceded seafloor spreading in the Eurasia Basin at about 53 Ma.
Integrative approach to the systematics of the endemic Svalbard aphid specis Macrosiphum calvulum (Hemiptera, Aphididae) using molecular morphological and reproductive system analysis
Spitsbergen
Svalbard winter warming is reaching melting point
POPULARIZATION OF TERRITORIES THROUGH USER-GENERATED CONTENT: THE CASE OF THE ARCTIC
Surface irradiance variability in the Arctic: in-situ measurements and analysis from 2013 to 2022 in Svalbard
Ten years of in-situ shortwave and longwave irradiance measurements near Longyearbyen, plus albedo and surface energy budget analysis, show seasonal peaks and a negative annual longwave budget.
Impact of weather systems on observed precipitation at Ny-Ålesund (Svalbard)
Four years of precipitation measurements at Ny-Ålesund show atmospheric rivers, cyclones and fronts drive most precipitation and extreme events, with detection depending on instrument and time resolution.
Improving short-term forecasts of sea ice edge and marginal ice zone around Svalbard
Data assimilation of AMSR2 sea ice concentration, ice charts and OSTIA SST improves 1–5 day forecasts of sea ice edge and marginal ice zone around Svalbard, outperforming several operational systems.
“The arctic on the menu”: Introducing local seafood on Svalbard
Explores whether invasive snow and red king crabs could support a local pot fishery feeding Svalbard restaurants and tourists, covering biology, regulation, and tourist interest.
A statistical study of optical signatures of high-latitude Pc5 waves
Automated detection of 198 ULF-wave-driven auroral arcs in Longyearbyen meridian photometer data, classifying them by direction and magnetic local time, with likely Kelvin-Helmholtz and substorm-particle drivers.
On the value of being there: what ethnography can add to studies of Arctic (geo)politics
Argues for ethnographic methods in Arctic geopolitics research, drawing on the authors' fieldwork on political processes in Svalbard to show what immersive local study adds.
Building transdisciplinary bridges and learning from the Svalbard context
Workshop-based paper on challenges, opportunities and best practices for transdisciplinary research in Svalbard, with recommendations for co-creating knowledge across researchers and stakeholders.
Comparative analysis of sea salt species in snow samples from Svalbard using ICP-QMS and IC techniques
Compares ICP-QMS and ion chromatography methods for measuring sea salt ions (Na, K, Mg, Br) in Svalbard surface snow, testing agreement where dust is high.
Formation of Hyas crabs-anemones associations in the Arctic, Svalbard
A single July 2024 observation records the spider crab Hyas araneus positioning itself under a sea anemone at Svalbard, likely for shelter.
Ecosystem metabolism and nitrogen budget of a glacial Fjord in the Arctic
Using a 10-year dataset, the study finds Kongsfjorden acts as a nutrient and carbon sink, mainly fed by shelf-sea inputs, with run-off playing a smaller role.
Arctic Greening Drives Changes in the Diet and Gut Microbiome of a Large Herbivore With Consequences for Body Mass
Svalbard reindeer rumen samples from 1998-2004 show that warmer summers and shrub-rich diets are linked to higher autumn body mass, partly through gut bacteria.
Measurements of broadband backscattering from the terminus of a tidewater glacier
Broadband split-beam echosounder measurements of acoustic backscattering from the submerged terminus of Hans Glacier, Svalbard, show weak frequency dependence across grazing angles.
Stratigraphic Influence on Emplacement and 3‐Dimensional Structure of a Large Mafic Sill in Sedimentary Strata
Maps the 3D structure of a large Early Cretaceous dolerite sill in Central Spitsbergen, showing how host-rock stratigraphy controls its shape and emplacement direction.
Observations and Model Simulations of Phase Heterogeneity in Arctic Clouds
On the variation of ocean surface gravity wave characteristics with wind speed and direction: a case study from offshore Svalbard, Norway
Uses long-term distributed acoustic sensing on fibre-optic cables off Svalbard to detect ocean surface gravity waves, separating distant swell from local wind-driven waves by arrival direction.
Exploring the relationships between coastal vulnerability and socio-economic variables in the context of climate change using geoinformatics for the region of Longyearbyen, Svalbard
Combines coastal vulnerability and social vulnerability indices for Longyearbyen, comparing equal weighting with AHP-derived weights to map integrated coastal risk under climate change.
Observations of methane net sinks in the upland Arctic tundra
Two years of eddy covariance measurements in Svalbard tundra show summer methane uptake and CO2 uptake, with winter snow and warm anomalies changing the balance.
High bioavailability of soil-derived dissolved organic carbon in the high Arctic fjord (Kongsfjorden, Svalbard Archipelago)
Incubation experiments on soil leachates from two Kongsfjorden river catchments show terrestrial dissolved organic carbon is highly bioavailable, with 68–87% biodegradable, potentially fueling fjord bacteria and CO2 release.
Contrasting stability of fungal and bacterial communities during long-term decomposition of fungal necromass in Arctic tundra
New GIS tools for wind fetch analysis: A case study of changes in wave exposure in Isfjorden (Svalbard) due to reduced fast ice coverage
Controls of sediment-bound and dissolved nutrient transport from a glacierised metasedimentary catchment in the high Arctic
Short-term response to light after the polar night in the Arctic kelps Alaria esculenta and Saccharina latissima
Kelp species from Kongsfjorden collected in February showed growth and photosynthetic responses to dim light after polar night, suggesting early spring light from ice loss can trigger seaweed growth.
Open Dynamic Stewardship
A philosophical book chapter using Svalbard as a lens to question territorial states and argue for open, dynamic forms of environmental stewardship under climate change.
Mercury labile and stabile fractions in marine sediments from the Spitsbergen region
Geochemistry and mineralogy of Neoproterozoic strata in northeastern Svalbard: Reevaluating the prevalence of basalt weathering during the early Neoproterozoic
Geochemical and mineralogical analysis of Neoproterozoic rocks in northeastern Svalbard revises the view that basalt weathering drove early Tonian global cooling, favouring granitic crustal sources.
Biological soil crusts on patterned grounds and their influence on plant succession
Study of cyanobacterial-microalgal soil crusts on patterned ground in southwestern Spitsbergen, finding moisture drives crust composition and crust succession tracks plant colonisation.
Analysing lithological complexity in outcrop-scale seismic models of interbedded siliciclastics and carbonates from Svalbard
Uses digital outcrop models of Carboniferous to Triassic interbedded siliciclastic-carbonate strata from Spitsbergen and Bjørnøya to test seismic detectability of thin beds, faults and karst.
Anthropogenic compounds in the northernmost Atlantic puffin population
Characteristics of the ambipolar electric field during ion upflow events
Uses 1999-2021 EISCAT Svalbard radar data to examine how the ambipolar electric field driving ion upflow varies with day/night, season, and solar and geomagnetic activity.
Response of an Arctic Mixed‐Phase Cloud to Ice‐Nucleating Particle Perturbations and Warming
Simulations of a winter mixed-phase cloud case at Ny-Ålesund show that warming increases ice via rime splintering and secondary ice production, reducing surface longwave radiation.
Plasma structuring within an expanded polar cap and cusp studied with the SS-520-3 sounding rocket
Sounding rocket measurements from Ny-Ålesund during a geomagnetic storm characterise plasma density structures (polar cap patches, cusp patch, tongue of ionisation) and their instability-driven small-scale variations.
Characterization of known and novel clinically important antibiotic resistance genes and novel microbes from wastewater-impacted high Arctic fjord sediments
Putting brakes on Expedition Cruise Tourism in Svalbard: exercising power at the expense of legitimacy?
Landsystem models from remote and field based geomorphological mapping reveal diverse glacier dynamics on Svalbard
Maps and classifies glacier landsystems on eleven Svalbard glaciers, from surge-type to small vanishing cold-based glaciers, using field, drone and remote sensing data.
Hiukkasmuodostus ja esiastekaasut Ny-Ålesundissa, Huippuvuorilla
Measured precursor vapours and molecular clusters during a 2024 Arctic summer in Ny-Ålesund to show how sulphur, iodine, and organic compounds drive new particle formation, with sources traced to marine algae, tundra, and long-range transport.
Billefjorden’s benthic biodiversity: the impact of glacier retreat on faunal communities in a high Arctic fjord
Benthic fauna in Billefjorden fjord differ by glacier influence: inland-glacier and marine-terminating sites are less diverse and sparser than the less glacier-affected site, likely from sedimentation and food limits.
Using culture‐independent methods to link active compound‐specific carbon degradation to greenhouse gas production and recycling in natural populations of permafrost microbes
Local variations in population trends and migration strategies of Brünnich’s guillemots on Svalbard
Brünnich's guillemot colonies in northeast Svalbard have grown over the last decade, contrasting with declines in west and south, with northeast birds wintering in the northern Barents Sea.
Marine‐derived nutrients shape the functional composition of High Arctic plant communities
Seabird-derived nutrients around a colony in Svalbard make plants taller with more resource-acquisitive leaf traits, while elevation alone matters little.
Microplastic pellets in Arctic marine sediments: a common source or a common process?
Maaperän kuoriamebojen ja kasvillisuuden välinen yhteys arktisessa tundraekosysteemissä Hornsundissa, Huippuvuorilla
Surveys testate amoeba communities in Hornsund tundra soils and finds they vary only weakly with vegetation-based moisture groups and pH, with no significant diversity differences.
An Analysis of brGDGTs in Down-Core Sediments from Kongressvatnet, Svalbard, Norway
Down-core brGDGT lipid distributions in Kongressvatnet lake sediments show shifts not matching paleoclimate trends, suggesting oxygen or conductivity controls rather than temperature alone.
Understanding Environmental Controls on Branched Glycerol Dialkyl Glycerol Tetraether (brGDGT) Distributions in Kongressvatnet, Svalbard, Norway
Studies whether brGDGT bacterial lipids in Kongressvatnet, a meromictic Svalbard lake, reliably track air temperature, finding oxygen, chemistry and bacterial communities confound the signal.
Analysis of the Spatial Dynamics of Auroral Hiss and Field-Aligned Currents, Based on Observations at the Barentsburg Observatory and the AMPERE Project
Uses Barentsburg Observatory ground recordings and AMPERE satellite data to show auroral hiss illuminated regions shift with field-aligned current regions, suggesting a link between hiss and currents.
From Pixels to Patterns: Trait Plasticity and Species Overlap of Calanus spp. in Arctic Fjords
Compares life-history traits of two Calanus copepod species across four Svalbard fjords, finding high trait plasticity and blurred morphological species boundaries under Atlantification.
Parasite–host contact in the Arctic: dispersal behaviour of infective nematode larvae from Svalbard reindeer faeces
Lab experiment on Svalbard reindeer faecal pats shows Ostertagia gruehneri infective nematode larvae move from dung into soil, but lateral dispersal is limited and unaided by slope.
Grease keeps polar bears ice-free and silent
Tests fur from six Svalbard polar bears and finds its greasy coating, not water repellence, lets ice slough off, comparable to race-level ski wear.
Thermospheric Orthohelium, He23S $\mathrm{H}\mathrm{e}\left({\mathrm{2}}^{\mathrm{3}}\mathrm{S}\right)$, Variations Associated With a Moderate Storm in February 2023: The NIRAS‐2 Observations at the Kjell Henriksen Observatory (78.1°N, 16.0°E), Svalbard
Airglow observations of metastable helium at 1,083 nm from Svalbard over 17 nights show brightness dropping during a February 2023 geomagnetic storm, tied to upwelling and electron precipitation.
Changes in the Coastal Wind Field and River Runoff Conditions Expose Kongsfjorden (Svalbard) to the Influence of Atlantic Water
Kongsfjorden's heat content and salinity rose from 1999 to 2020 because of more Atlantic Water inflow, with wind shifts and glacier meltwater playing only a minor role.
Geochemistry and mineralogy of modern fjord sediments, west Spitsbergen, Svalbard: implications for provenance and weathering
Sublittoral Macrobenthic Communities of Storfjord (Eastern Svalbard) and Factors Influencing Their Distribution and Structure
Surveys soft-sediment macrobenthos in Storfjord, eastern Svalbard, finding 314 taxa and linking community patterns to ice-free period, siltation and water masses.
A reconstruction of radioactive and chemical pollution of the Grønfjorden (bay), West Spitsbergen Island (Svalbard archipelago)
Dynamics of Permafrost Geomorphology in the High Arctic Svalbard
Review of two decades of permafrost and periglacial research in Svalbard, covering ice wedges, mudboils, pingos, solifluction, and rock glaciers, and how warming is changing them.
Singers of the high Arctic; Seasonal acoustic presence of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) around Svalbard, Norway
Passive acoustic recordings from 2017 to 2022 at six sites around Svalbard show bowhead whales vocalise year-round in areas tied to sea ice, suggesting key overwintering and breeding grounds.
Arctic fjord ecosystem adaptation to cryosphere meltdown over the past 14,000 years
Using sediment biomarkers from Kongsfjorden, the study reconstructs 14,000 years of phytoplankton shifts driven by sea ice and glacial ice loss, and projects effects of future fjord deglaciation on productivity and carbon burial.
Impact of snow and building management on ground surface temperatures in permafrost environments - A case study from the historical mining town Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard
Two years of ground surface temperature measurements in Ny-Ålesund show snow redistribution, crawl space ventilation and wall orientation strongly affect permafrost conditions beneath historical buildings.
Haloacetic Acids as Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Arctic Aerosol
Year-long aerosol sampling at Ny-Ålesund found 12 haloacetic acids in Arctic particulate matter, mostly monohaloacetic acids, with long-range anthropogenic transport as the main source.
Sources and Dynamics of Dissolved Organic Carbon in Kongsfjorden: Insights From Radiocarbon Analysis
Radiocarbon and stable carbon isotopes of dissolved organic carbon in Kongsfjorden show riverine DOC is quickly removed after entering the fjord, with glacial meltwater and primary production shaping inner-outer differences.
Did a global heatwave have a lasting impact on the snowpack and the annual glacier mass balance? The example of a small glacial basin observatory in the High Arctic (Brøgger Peninsula, Spitsbergen)
A March 2022 winter heatwave with rain on a Brøgger Peninsula glacier caused earlier snow loss and a more negative annual mass balance than in 2023.
Resolving the climate-controlled hydrological regime in a model permafrost catchment for future management strategies
Study of a SW Svalbard permafrost catchment's hydrology (2005-2019) finds discharge peaks in June-July driven by precipitation and late-summer flows driven by temperature and rain, informing glacial flood and landslide management.
Paleoceanographic changes along the western Spitsbergen margin, evidence from planktic microfossil during the last 10 kyr BP
Bioaccumulation and Trophic Transfer of Organophosphate Esters (OPEs) in Arctic Terrestrial and Benthic Marine Ecosystems
Measures organophosphate ester flame retardant levels in Svalbard soil, plants, sediment and biota, finding bioaccumulation on land and trophic dilution in the marine food web.
Svalbard's Record‐Breaking Arctic Summer 2024: Anomalies Beyond Climatological Warming Trends
Examines Svalbard's record-breaking summer 2024 temperatures, finding the August mean lies outside the climatological distribution even after accounting for warming trends, linked to persistent atmospheric patterns and warm seas.
создании карты объектов российского наследия архипелага Шпицберген: постановка вопроса
Argues for creating a map of Russian cultural heritage on Svalbard, covering Pomor sites, Russian enterprise and research sites, expedition routes, memorials and Russian place names.
Bioluminescence in the arctic polar night
Measured winter bioluminescent plankton communities and depth distribution in Kongsfjord during polar night, and modelled how their light affects euphausiid visual predation.
Benthic metabolism and macrofauna bioturbation along a glacier-driven gradient in Kongsfjorden
Sediment cores from Kongsfjorden's glacier front and fjord mouth show higher benthic respiration, nutrient release and methane efflux at the glacier front, linked to polychaete bioturbation.
Geochemical charactersitcs of meltwaters collected at Longyearbyen, Arctic Svalbard: Feedback linking glacial melting, chemical weathering and carbon cycle
Hygroscopic aerosols amplify longwave downward radiation in the Arctic
Measurements at Ny-Ålesund show hygroscopic sea-salt and sulfate aerosols greatly boost longwave downward radiation when humidity is high, possibly amplifying Arctic warming.
Long-term development of a perennial firn aquifer on the Lomonosovfonna ice cap, Svalbard
Groundwater modelling of a perennial firn aquifer on Lomonosovfonna ice cap shows it existed in 1957 and grew about 11% in water content from 1957 to 2019.
Diversity of algae and cyanobacteria from biological soil crusts in the high Arctic (Svalbard) along two different moisture gradients
Survey of 65 algae and cyanobacteria species in biological soil crusts at two Kongsfjorden moisture gradients near Ny-Ålesund, finding diversity falls as soil moisture drops.
Longyearbyen Lagoon (Spitsbergen): Gravel Spits Movement Rate and Mechanisms
Monitoring of the Longyearbyen lagoon shows its gravel spit moving several metres per month, driven by bed-load transport and gravel slides, with implications for coastal management.
Securitization of scientific cooperation: The case of the Arctic
Automatic detection of acoustic signals off Svalbard using distributed acoustic sensing
Develops an automated algorithm to detect whale and ship acoustic signals in distributed acoustic sensing data from a 130-km fibre optic cable off Svalbard.
Record early snow disappearance in 2020 and 2022 across central Svalbard
Sentinel-2 snow index mapping shows record early snow-free dates across central Svalbard in 2020 and 2022, with a trend toward earlier snow loss.
FORAMINIFERAL CARBONATE PRODUCTION DECREASE IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING FJORD (HORNSUND, SVALBARD 2002–2019)
Benthic foraminifera in Hornsund fjord declined in test production, shifted toward smaller and more agglutinated species, cutting carbonate contribution over tenfold from 2002 to 2019.
Tracing Macroalgal‐Induced Changes in Carbon Dynamics of High‐Arctic Fjords Using Biomarker Fingerprinting
Uses carbon isotopes and n-alkane biomarkers in macroalgae and surface sediments of Kongsfjorden to show how macroalgal debris shapes fjord carbon sources and may create low-oxygen sediments under warming.
Snow cover sublimation on the Svalbard during spring
D2.3 Report into DAS observations in relation to fibre technology used
Report introducing distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) on fibre optic cables and presenting the Svalbard DAS field laboratory's recordings of whale calls, earthquakes and ocean waves.
Terrestrial reference frame scale drift anomalies in VLBI and the contribution of Ny-Ålesund radio telescopes
Finds that a VLBI scale drift in the global reference frame is reduced by over 50% when the station motion model for the Ny-Ålesund antenna NYALES20 is modified to account for climate-related ground movement.
(Re)Making Svalbard’s Marble Island: Marketing the Sublime and Mythologising the More-Than-Human
Traces the history of the failed Marble Island marble quarry in Svalbard run by the British Northern Exploration Company, and how its failure has been mythologised as more-than-human resistance.
Recent earthquakes in Svalbard sourced from transform-parallel thrust systems: implications for linear earthquake swarms and earthquake risk
Vekst, vern og kald krig
Geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of fjord sediments in Arctic Svalbard: insights into Holocene glacial activity and weathering variability
Reconstructs 4,900 years of Hornsund fjord sediment history using neodymium isotopes and quartz-carbonate ratios, tracking glacier advances and retreats from the Neoglacial through the Little Ice Age to today.
High-arctic cultural heritage environments are deteriorated by cruise tourism: a case study from Svalbard
Field and remote-sensing study finds cruise tourism is the main stressor degrading vegetation at eight Svalbard cultural heritage sites, rising from 4% to 55% impairment over 1990–2020.
New insights into marine-based paleo-ice sheet dynamics and glaciomarine depositional environment in an interfan area between ice stream-derived trough mouth fans, off west Svalbard
Navigational challenges in Svalbard: insights from a research expedition
Ethnographic study aboard a research vessel and interviews with navigators identify navigational challenges in Svalbard waters and assess alternative navigation tools and their limits.
Uncovering Recent Tectonic Activity in Western Svalbard: A Reassessment of Fault Movements and Deformation Patterns
Complex geohazards at a high-priority Arctic cultural heritage site at Russekeila – Kapp Linné, Svalbard
Maps geohazards such as river and coastal erosion, permafrost thaw slumps, and solifluction threatening the Russekeila cultural heritage site at Kapp Linné, Svalbard, and finds the river mouth moved over 90 m in 66 years.
Pattern change of precipitation extremes in Svalbard
Interannual variation in foraging decisions in chick-rearing black-legged kittiwakes
Tracking of breeding black-legged kittiwakes in Kongsfjorden over three seasons shows bimodal foraging (short trips for chicks, long trips for self-maintenance) occurs only in some years, and outside-fjord trips help maintain body condition.
UAV and photogrammetric techniques to study shoreline changes in the high Arctic as exemplified by the Kaffiøyra region, Svalbard
Uses UAV photogrammetry and historical aerial and satellite imagery to measure coastline retreat and advance at Kaffiøyra, Svalbard, from 1966 to 2021.
First report of increased amphotericin B resistance in Coniochaeta polymorpha isolates from Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus droppings in Spitsbergen
Arctic willow (Salix polaris) exudation as a driver of microbial activity and soil formation in the high arctic tundra
Study of Svalbard's Petuniabukta sites finds arctic willow root exudates, mainly organic acids, shape rhizosphere nutrients and microbes during early soil formation after glacier retreat.
Testing the homogeneity of climate series of surface air temperature in Barentsburg (Svalbard)
Tests the homogeneity of the Barentsburg air temperature record (1932-2023) across two station relocations and finds the series usable without correction.
Is a newly reported presence of Stictis radiata in Svalbard a result of global climate change, or is it due to the availability of a suitable substrate?
Reports the first Svalbard find of the facultatively lichenised epiphytic fungus Stictis radiata in Colesdalen, linked to woody debris substrate rather than climate change.
Depletion of crude oil and fuel in the Arctic. Summer and winter field studies with immobilized oil in seawater at Svalbard
Field experiments in Svalbard seawater compared summer and winter natural depletion of three crude oils and their bacterial communities, finding extensive seasonal differences in oil breakdown.
Neoproterozoic Diamictites of Polarisbreen Group (Nordauslandet, Svalbard) – Paleomagnetic and Petrographic Investigations
Current Paleomagnetic Database of Svalbard
Diabasodden and Its Suite – the High Arctic Large Igneous Province on Svalbard and Its Type Locality
The Eurekan West Spitsbergen Fold-and-Thrust Belt on Brøggerhalvøya
An Alternative Hypothesis for Forming the Eurekan Fold and Thrust Belts of Spitsbergen and North Greenland
Proposes an alternative tectonic model in which Greenland-Svalbard convergence from Greenland's anticlockwise rotation during Labrador Sea-Baffin Bay opening formed the West Spitsbergen and Eurekan fold-thrust belts.
Architecture of the Caledonian Fold Belt South of Murchisonfjorden, Western Nordaustlandet
Digital Geology at UNIS: Tools for Supporting Arctic Research, Education, and Expedition Planning
Describes UNIS digital geology tools (photosphere-Atlas, VR Svalbard, Svalbox digital outcrop database) that openly share Svalbard geoscience data for research, teaching and expedition planning.
Man-made emerging contaminants in the High-Arctic fjord Kongsfjorden (Svalbard Archipelago, Norway): Occurrence, sources and risk assessment
Animals of Svalbard A-Z Alphabet
An English-learning alphabet book introducing A-to-Z animals of Svalbard, presenting one creature per letter with wildlife facts.
Air–sea–ice interactions in Isfjorden, Svalbard: An atmospheric perspective
Uses high-resolution CARRA reanalysis for 2011–2021 to show that turbulent heat fluxes drive air–sea heat exchange variability in Isfjorden, shaped by sea ice and terrain, versus open Fram Strait.
A new psychrophilic yeast of Kriegeriaceae (Kriegeriales) isolated from lichen in the Arctic, with the description of Lichenia svalbardensis gen. et sp. nov.
Describes a new psychrophilic yeast genus, Lichenia svalbardensis, isolated from dendritic lichens in Svalbard, with growth optimum at 10–15 °C and poor growth above 20 °C.
Ocean surface conditions during Holocene Thermal Maximum in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, and its relevance for understanding modern warming in the region
Aerosol hygroscopicity influenced by seasonal chemical composition variations in the Arctic region
Six years of Zeppelin Observatory data show Arctic aerosol hygroscopicity peaks in spring and dips in summer, with sea salt and organics driving the seasonal pattern.
Warming-induced destabilization of polar coastal rock cliffs and the role of thermokarst: A case study of Forkastningsfjellet on Svalbard
Exploring 4200 Years of Mercury Variation in the Antlers of High-Arctic Wild Reindeer
Analysis of mercury levels in 78 Svalbard reindeer antlers over 4200 years, finding higher mercury before 1650 AD and in Medieval Warm Period than Little Ice Age.
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault – conserving plant genetic resources for European and global food security
Describes the Svalbard Global Seed Vault's role as a backup for crop genetic resources, including European deposits and seed withdrawals by ICARDA after the Syrian Civil War.
Hydroclimate intensification likely aided glacier survival on Svalbard in the Early Holocene
Lake sediment records from two glacial lakes fed by Åsgardfonna ice cap show it survived and even advanced during the warm Early Holocene, as seasonal sea-ice loss boosted snowfall.
An Assessment of the Soundscape West of the Svalbard Islands
Underwater ambient noise recorded at two sites west of Svalbard shows seasonal patterns from fin whales, seismic airguns, wind, and distance to the ice edge.
Impacts of tourism on Arctic communities - the Spitsbergen example
Physics-aware machine learning for glacier ice thickness estimation: a case study for Svalbard
Uses physics-informed deep learning, including mass conservation constraints, to estimate ice thickness for all glaciers on Spitsbergen, Barentsøya and Edgeøya, and tests it with glacier-wise cross-validation.
Proglacial methane emissions driven by meltwater and groundwater flushing in a high-Arctic glacial catchment
Methane concentrations in a central Svalbard glacier's meltwater rivers and springs were measured over two summers, estimating about 1 ton of melt-season methane emissions from one catchment.
Transforming Svea: staging a return to a wilderness-like nature
Assesses the restoration of Svea, a former mining town in Svalbard, finding conceptual inconsistencies about nature, culture and wilderness in how the post-mining landscape is treated.
Spatio‐temporal Changes of Svalbard Lagoon Systems in the Post‐Little‐Ice‐Age Period
Remote sensing of 430 Svalbard barrier-lagoon systems finds at least 98 lagoons formed since the Little Ice Age and eight disappeared, identifying a new moraine-controlled paraglacial lagoon type.
Ice thickness inversion assessment: A comparison study for Waldemarbreen and Irenebreen glaciers, Svalbard
Land-ocean connections in organic carbon cycling amid the Early Triassic (Smithian-Spathian) revealed through compound specific isotope analysis
Compound-specific carbon isotopes of n-alkanes from Stensiöfjellet shales in Svalbard reveal parallel marine and terrestrial carbon cycle perturbations during the Early Triassic Smithian-Spathian boundary.
High-resolution 4D electrical resistivity tomography and below-ground point sensor monitoring of High Arctic deglaciated sediments capture zero-curtain effects, freeze–thaw transitions, and mid-winter thawing
Year-round 4D electrical resistivity monitoring on two glacier forefield sediment sites near a Svalbard glacier tracks freeze-thaw fronts, zero-curtain periods, and mid-winter thawing.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N5) detected in an Atlantic walrus ( Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus ) in the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway, 2023
First documented case of H5N5 highly pathogenic avian influenza in an Atlantic walrus found dead in Svalbard in 2023, with genetic analysis linking it to avian virus isolates.
Case studies of different types of precipitation at Ny-Ålesund, Arctic
Case studies at Ny-Ålesund using radar and radiometer profiles plus ERA5 reanalysis show that warm, moist southerly air aloft turned snow to rain and upward motion formed graupel.
Unraveling nitrogen metabolism, cold and stress adaptation in polar Bosea sp. PAMC26642 through comparative genome analysis
Comparative genome analysis of a lichen-associated Bosea bacterium isolated in Svalbard, finding nitrogen metabolism and stress-adaptation genes and a likely new species.
Waterlogging of soil induces diverging rates of senescence in Svalbard reindeer forage plants
A field experiment on Svalbard found that waterlogged soil delayed senescence in a grass but shortened the growing season of a forb and a shrub, with implications for reindeer forage quality.
Marine Archaeological Surveying Using Snake Robots: The Eely Survey of Figaro Wreck in the High Arctic
A snake robot named Eely photogrammetrically mapped the 20th-century wreck Figaro at 35 m depth in Trygghamna fjord, Svalbard, and compared results with earlier surveys.
Methane in Svalbard (SvalGaSess)
Review of methane sources, sinks and emissions in Svalbard, including ancient geogenic methane under glaciers and permafrost and younger microbial methane from wetlands, and why reliable emission estimates are needed.
Terrestrial and freshwater invertebrate science in Svalbard in a changing world: from regional to pan-Arctic scales (STAFIEN - Svalbard Terrestrial and Freshwater Invertebrate Ecology Network)
A review chapter in the SESS 2024 report surveying research on Svalbard's terrestrial and freshwater invertebrates and their role in environmental change, and calling for better biodiversity surveys.
Impact of Extreme Weather Events on the Surface Energy Balance of the Low-Elevation Svalbard Glacier Aldegondabreen
Energy balance modelling of low-elevation Aldegondabreen near Barentsburg shows 2022 heatwaves and wind-driven extreme melt events drove a very negative mass balance and prolonged melt season.
Stable Boundary Layers in an Arctic Fjord‐Valley System: Evaluation of Temperature Profiles Observed From Fiber‐Optic Distributed Sensing and Comparison to Numerical Weather Prediction Systems at Different Resolutions
Fiber-optic distributed sensing, tethered sonde and eddy-covariance measurements in a Svalbard fjord valley show stable boundary layer inversions, and compare them with HARMONIE-AROME forecasts at 2.5 km and 0.5 km resolution.
Holocene multi-proxy environmental reconstruction of a tundra lake: A case study from Reindeer Lake, Western Spitsbergen
Multi-proxy analysis of two lake sediment cores from Reindeer Lake, Western Spitsbergen, reconstructs Holocene environment since about 8.4 ka, finding slow sedimentation and low nutrient supply dominated by the alga Pediastrum orientale.
Greening of Svalbard in the twentieth century driven by sea ice loss and glaciers retreat
Pharmaceutical residues and caffeine in Arctic fjord waters (west Spitsbergen)
Pervasive glacier retreats across Svalbard from 1985 to 2023
Deep-learning mapping of 149 Svalbard marine-terminating glaciers from 1985 to 2023 shows widespread calving front retreat, seasonal cycles linked to West Spitsbergen Current warm water timing, and sensitivity to air and ocean warming.
Early Cretaceous giant glendonites: A record of (sub-)millennial-scale cooling?
Giant bladed glendonites found in Lower Cretaceous strata of central Spitsbergen are argued to have grown over decades to millennia, pointing to short cooling episodes in the Early Cretaceous greenhouse.
The Svanbergfjellet Formation: eukaryotic life in a Tonian Sea
Re-sampling of the Svanbergfjellet Formation, a Tonian-age rock unit in Svalbard, reveals diverse exceptionally preserved microfossils, including early green algae, from a shallow sea about 1000–720 million years ago.
New glacier thickness and bed topography maps for Svalbard
Produces a new map of ice thickness and bed topography for every Svalbard glacier, totaling about 6,800 km³ of ice, using ice-flow models and inverse methods.
Tekst o Spitsbergenie z 1782 roku jako przykład zainteresowania terenami polarnymi w końcu XVIII wieku
Public engagement in polar science: perspectives from tourists and scientists on the SEES-2022 expedition to Svalbard
Examines how combining cruise tourism with scientific research on the SEES-2022 Edgeøya expedition shapes public engagement, using perspectives from tourists and scientists, and proposes six recommendations.
Photography, plants, and care in a changing Arctic
Uses vernacular 1920s-1980s photographs from Svalbard mining towns, held in Arctic archives, to argue an analogy between photography and plants through the lens of care and natureculture.
Development of freshwater ecosystems in the recently deglaciated forefield of Horbye glacier, central Svalbard
Mapping Svalbard between XIX and XX centuries: Gerard De Geer and the Arctic Archipelago, 1882-1931
Traces how Swedish geologist Gerard De Geer's six expeditions and maps of Svalbard from 1882 to 1931 served Swedish coal and strategic ambitions before the Svalbard Treaty.
Vive le Roy' Een Franse aanval op de Nederlandse walvisvloot in Spitsbergen
Tidewater glacier retreat on Svalbard in the past, present and future
Implications for palaeoceanographic reconstructions in atlantified Arctic fjords
Benthic foraminiferal assemblages and stable isotopes in Hornsund fjord track atlantification over 22 years, testing their use as palaeoceanographic proxies.
Windrichtungsänderung in der atmosphärischen Grenzschicht am Kongsfjord, Svalbard
Bewertung der Schneelawinengefahr in Longyearbyen (Svalbard), anhand des Südtiroler Gefahrenzonenplans
VERTEBRATE AND INVERTEBRATE HERBIVORY VARY WITH VEGETATION TYPE AND EXPERIMENTAL WARMING CONDITIONS IN HIGH-ARCTIC SVALBARD
Experimental warming and vegetation type in Endalen, Svalbard changed invertebrate and vertebrate herbivory on Arctic plants, with herbivory rising at all sites since 2014-2015.
Influence of Climate Change on Sedimentation Processes of the Spitsbergen Archipelago in the Late Holocene (on the Example of the Little Ice Age and Modern Warming)
Summarises decades of Spitsbergen studies showing that late Holocene sedimentation in lakes, fjords and shelf waters responded directly to climate swings, including the Little Ice Age and modern warming.
Sea ice classification of the Hornsund Fjord using RADARSAT-2 and Sentinel-1 imagery from 2012 to 2016
Investigation of Svalbard Glacier Mineral Dust Through Seasonal Snow and Firn Core Analyses: Dust Composition and Relative Albedo Contributions
Mineral dust from four Svalbard glaciers and a Holtedahlfonna firn core show dust grain size and composition vary by glacier, and dust reduces snow albedo more than black carbon.
New occurrence of magnesites in Prins Karls Forland, Svalbard
Reports a new large magnesite occurrence in Scotiafjellet Group metasediments on Prins Karls Forland, formed by Caledonian fluid metasomatism at greenschist conditions (260–360°C).
Svalbard: Between International Community and International Relations Space
A Rapid GeoSAM-Based Workflow for Multi-Temporal Glacier Delineation: Case Study from Svalbard. Technical Report
An atlas of discourse: mapping large digital archives through expansive interface design
Uses 16,000 articles from the Svalbard local newspaper Svalbardposten as a case study to design and evaluate interfaces for exploring large digital archives while keeping interpretation open.
Meltwater Pulses during Late-Quaternary; Origin, onset dynamics and impacts on the environment and climate
Contesting Svalbard: Navigating Arctic Futures
A design dissertation proposing adaptations to the Svalbard Treaty, alternative built-environment futures, and a new transnational Arctic design agency, critiquing Norwegian dominance on the archipelago.
Policy perspectives on the Svalbard treaty and the evolving arctic order
long-term
A detailed 1:10,000 geomorphological map of Bjørndalen near Longyearbyen shows landform and process distribution, with coastal erosion up to 13 m in 2009–2022 and retrogressive thaw slumps tied to warming.
Scientific expedition to the region of Edgeøya and Barentsøya (and around Spitsbergen), August 18 - September 2, 2024
Phanerozoic paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic evolution in Svalbard
How did R2D2 land in Adventdalen?
Monitoring atmospheric and night sky characteristics in Ny-Ålesund research station
Environmental Monitoring of Total Hydrocarbon Contents in Fjords of Svalbard, Grönfjord
Measured total hydrocarbon levels in Grönfjord water and sediments over 2012-2022, finding interannual variation, possible natural seeps, and some signs of industrial petroleum input.
Expansion of the gamma radiation registration system during precipitation on Spitsbergen
Eukaryotic diversity associated with the phycosphere of the seaweed Ulvaria obscura (Kützing) Gayral (Chlorophyta, Ulvophyceae) in the Svalbard Archipelago, Arctic region assessed using DNA metabarcoding
DNA metabarcoding of seaweed Ulvaria obscura from Svalbard shores reveals a diverse eukaryotic microbiome in its phycosphere, with 75 taxa across six kingdoms.
Instruction of the Arkhangelsk Medical Board of 1837 on the Prevention and Treatment of Scurvy on Novaya Zemlya and Spitsbergen
Publishes an 1837 Arkhangelsk Medical Board pamphlet giving scurvy prevention and treatment advice for hunters on Novaya Zemlya and Spitsbergen, recommending sour berries and pine-cone decoction.
High-frequency image analysis of calving activity and styles at Hansbreen, Svalbard
Ammonia Oxidation Property of Soils on the Glacier Foreland of Austre Brøggerbreen, Svalbard: Response to Open-top Chamber Experiments
Soil nitrification on the Austre Brøggerbreen glacier foreland near Ny-Ålesund was studied with open-top chamber warming, showing ammonia-oxidizing bacteria dominate and community composition differs between sites exposed for different times.
Observations of the Blomstrand Glacier Activation in the North of West Spitsbergen Island Based on Data from a Single Seismic Station
Over 9,000 weak icequakes detected by one seismic station show a seismic sequence in the ablation zone of Blomstrand Glacier, linked to a large ice calving event and possible stick-slip motion.
PALAEOSOLS FINDS IN DEVONIAN DEPOSITS ON THE ARCHIPELAGO SPITSBERGEN
Describes Devonian palaeosols with plant imprints in Dickson Land, Spitsbergen, showing continental formation was widespread and allowing reconstruction of ancient terrestrial ecosystems and climate.
Bayesian data assimilation on an Arctic glacier: learning from large ensemble twin experiments
Uses synthetic twin experiments with two ensemble data assimilation methods to improve surface mass balance simulations of Kongsvegen glacier, Svalbard, by jointly assimilating albedo and snow depth.
Long-term variability of sound speed conditions in Hornsund fjord, Svalbard, between 2001 and 2019
Hornsund fjord's sound speed profiles from 2001 to 2019 show shifts from deep to near-surface sound channels, driven by Atlantic Water inflow and glacier meltwater.
Meiobenthic assemblages of moraine and tundra reservoirs of Coraholmen Island (Central Spitsbergen) and their differences
Surveys meiobenthic communities (rotifers, nematodes, crustaceans, larvae) in ten small moraine and tundra ponds on Coraholmen Island, central Spitsbergen, and relates diversity to water chemistry.
Glacier dynamics, sedimentary processes, and deglaciation history in Recherchefjorden, Svalbard
Uses swath bathymetry, sub-bottom profiling and sediment cores to reconstruct Recherchebreen's Holocene advances, LIA position, and post-LIA retreat with a 2018–2020 surge in Recherchefjorden.
Russland på Svalbard: sikkerhetspolitikk, bilateralisering og subversjon
Traces Soviet and Russian policy toward Svalbard from the Cold War onward, arguing that Russia's bilateralism with Norway has been paired with covert pressure that is best termed subversion.
GNSS-IR-Based Snow Depth Estimation: A Case Study for CRIOS Network on Svalbard
Tests GNSS interferometric reflectometry on three CRIOS stations in Svalbard to estimate snow depth over one year, validated against manual and automatic measurements, with good agreement.
Witnessing the transition from cold to temperate firn on Austfonna ice cap, Svalbard, through observations and model simulations
Firn cores and firn temperature records from Austfonna show meltwater refreezing and a 2013 shift to temperate firn, with simulations suggesting repeated firn aquifer formation.
Permafrost thermal regime and active layer dynamics across periglacial landforms in Svalbard's Nordenskiöld Land Permafrost Observatory, 2008–2023
Ground temperature records from 16 Svalbard boreholes (2008–2023) show permafrost warming and active layer thickening at nearly all sites, with bedrock and blocky landforms most sensitive.
Footprints of magnetic particulate matter and black carbon in the Ny-Ålesund area, the Arctic
Study finds magnetic particulate matter and black carbon around Ny-Ålesund, with higher levels near research facilities and tourist sites, likely from combustion and mechanical sources.
Acoustic activity indicates submarine melt at tidewater glaciers
Hydrophone arrays in Svalbard glacial bays detected crackling sounds from trapped-bubble release, and sound levels correlated with submarine melt rates at tidewater glacier fronts.
Modeling the degradation of Saline marine permafrost: the influence of soil freezing characteristics
Models how saline marine permafrost near Longyearbyen degrades under warming, showing that the soil freezing characteristic curve strongly controls thaw rates and ground temperature rise.
ANALYSIS OF ARCHAEAL DIVERSITY AND ITS INFLUENCING FACTORS IN THE SOIL OF NY-ÅLESUND MELTWATER AREAS IN ARCTIC NORWAY
Studies archaeal communities in soils of Ny-Ålesund meltwater areas and the environmental factors that shape their diversity.
Increased exposure of the shores of Hornsund (Svalbard) to wave action due to a rapid shift in sea ice conditions
Sea ice at the Hornsund entrance shifted abruptly in 2005 to mostly ice-free winters, raising nearshore wave energy up to 100% in February–April and increasing coastal erosion exposure.
Exploring Climate Change, Geopolitics, Marine Archeology, and Ecology in the Arctic Ocean Through Wood-Boring Bivalves
Documents the first high-Arctic record of a deep-sea wood-boring bivalve (Xyloredo) in a Siberian larch driftwood trawled offshore Svalbard, linking it to the Transpolar Drift and Siberian logging.
On the tidal forcing of an Arctic coastal polynya—Storfjorden polynya
Modelling shows semi-diurnal tidal currents open extra area in the Storfjorden polynya, raising ice production and salt release by small percentages over 1997-2002 winters.
Tracking glacier surge evolution using interferometric SAR coherence—examples from Svalbard
Develops an InSAR coherence method to detect glacier surge onset early and track surge propagation and post-surge relaxation on Svalbard glaciers.
Vascular plant biomass and herbivore disturbance, but not summer temperature, explain satellite and drone-based NDVI in High Arctic Svalbard
Study links NDVI from drone and Sentinel-2 imagery to plant biomass, goose disturbance and winter damage in Svalbard Dryas and moss tundra over five years, finding summer temperature unrelated.
Utilising seismic station internal GPS for tracking surging glacier sliding velocity
Shows that GPS receivers built into seismic stations can track surge-related sliding velocity on Borebreen, matching satellite-derived speeds and revealing short-term meltwater-driven speed-ups.
Paleosol Finds in Devonian Sediments on the Spitsbergen Archipelago
Devonian paleosols found in Dickson Land, western Spitsbergen, near Pyramiden, preserving plant imprints, used to reconstruct ancient ecosystems and climate.
Russia’s policy of presence in Svalbard
Analyses Russia's efforts to maintain its presence in Svalbard under the Svalbard Treaty, finding its policy is poorly coordinated and driven mainly by cost-cutting and security needs.
Petrographic and mineralogical characteristics of diagenetic overprinting in Neoproterozoic diamictites from Murchisonfjorden, Nordaustlandet, Svalbard
Petrographic and mineralogical study of Neoproterozoic diamictites in Murchisonfjorden, Nordaustlandet, finding advanced mesogenetic diagenesis, secondary mineral growth, and loss of original magnetic remanence.
Geomorphological structure and several physico-chemical properties of soils in Western Spitsbergen maritime cryogenic landscapes
Describes 19 soil profiles of eight types across marine terraces and floodplains near Barentsburg and Colesbay, linking soil geochemistry and water properties to cryogenic landscape position.
The community of marine alveolate parasites in the Atlantic inflow to the Arctic Ocean is structured by season, depth, and water mass
Metabarcoding of five cruises west and north of Svalbard shows marine alveolate parasitic dinoflagellates vary by season, depth and water mass, with dominant epipelagic variants in spring and summer.
Crustal Heterogeneity Onshore Central Spitsbergen: Insights From New Gravity and Vintage Geophysical Data
New gravity measurements at 260 stations along seven profiles in central Spitsbergen reveal crustal density variations that agree with the legacy regional gravity grid and tie to seismic and magnetic data.
Depth‐Related Controls on the Quantitative Composition of Rhodolith Matrices in the High Arctic
Study of rhodolith matrix composition (crustose coralline algae, bivalves, serpulids, bryozoans, barnacles) along a depth gradient at Svalbard, using micro-CT and point counting.
Site-scale variation in ground-ice content and physical properties of loess in permafrost, Svalbard, High Arctic
Borehole study of ground-ice content in loess permafrost within ice-wedge polygons near Svalbard, finding large variation over less than 100 m and linking ice to sedimentation history.
Fate of trace elements and emerging environmental pollutants (benzotriazoles and benzothiazoles) from a glacier-fed river in the mixing zone of an Arctic fjord system
Measured trace metals and benzotriazole/benzothiazole pollutants in a glacier-fed river and Ny-Ålesund fjord water and sediment, finding higher levels near the former-mining town.
Hiking Trails Facilitate the Spread of a Native High‐Arctic Species
Hiking trails near Isfjord Radio at Kapp Linné spread the native Arctic poppy Papaver dahlianum faster than local spread alone, favouring trampled gravel with sparse vegetation.
Toxic metals and other elements in Svalbard reindeer: Establishing baselines and assessing non-invasive sampling for biomonitoring
Measures mercury, cadmium and lead in Svalbard reindeer tissues and faeces, finding Hg lower than most reindeer studies but above central Europe, and suggests faeces as a non-lethal Hg proxy.
The Contrasting Role of Marine‐ and Land‐Terminating Glaciers on Biogeochemical Cycles in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard
Water column sampling in Kongsfjorden and proglacial rivers shows marine- and land-terminating glacier runoff shape nutrient, trace element and carbonate distributions in the fjord.
Warming and thawing trends of permafrost at high Arctic site (Bayelva, Spitsbergen) 1998-2017