Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. Situated north of mainland Europe, it is about midway between continental Norway and the North Pole. The islands of the group range from 74° to 81° north latitude, and from 10° to 35° east longitude. The largest island is Spitsbergen, followed by Nordaustlandet and Edgeøya. While part of the Kingdom of Norway since 1925, Svalbard is not part of geographical Norway proper; administratively, the archipelago is not part of any Norwegian county, but forms an unincorporated area administered by a governor appointed by the Norwegian government, and a special jurisdiction subject to the Svalbard Treaty that is, unlike Norway proper, outside of the Schengen Area, the Nordic Passport Union and the European Economic Area. Since 2002, Svalbard's main settlement, Longyearbyen, has had an elected local government, somewhat similar to mainland municipalities. Other settlements include the Russian mining community of Barentsburg, the research station of Ny-Ålesund, and the mining outpost of Sveagruva. Ny-Ålesund is the northernmost settlement in the world with a permanent civilian population. Other settlements are farther north, but are populated only by rotating groups of researchers.
Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean roughly centered on 78° north latitude and 20° east longitude. The archipelago is the northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway. The three main islands in the group consist of Spitsbergen, Nordaustlandet and Edgeøya. There are also a number of smaller islands, such as Barents Island (Barentsøya), Kvitøya, Prins Karls Forland, Kongsøya, Bear Island, Svenskøya, Wilhelm Island and other smaller islands or skerries.
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norway. Constituting the westernmost bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea, and the Greenland Sea. Spitsbergen covers an area of 37,673 km2 (14,546 sq mi), making it the largest island in Norway and the 36th-largest in the world. The administrative centre is Longyearbyen. Other settlements, in addition to research outposts, are the Russian mining community of Barentsburg, the research community of Ny-Ålesund, and the mining outpost of Sveagruva. Spitsbergen was covered in 21,977 km2 (8,485 sq mi) of ice in 1999, which was approximately 58.5% of the island's total area.
Longyearbyen (Urban East Norwegian: [ˈlɔ̀ŋjiːrbyːən] is the largest settlement and the administrative center of Svalbard, Norway. As of August 2019, the town had a population of 2,368. It stretches along the foot of the left bank of the Longyear Valley and on the shore of Adventfjorden, the short estuary into Isfjorden on the west coast of Spitsbergen, the island's broadest inlet. Since 2002, Longyearbyen Community Council has had many of the same responsibilities as a municipality, including utilities, education, cultural facilities, fire brigade, roads and ports. The town is the seat of the Governor of Svalbard. It is the world's northernmost settlement of any kind with more than 1,000 permanent residents. Since 2015 it has been governed by Mayor Arild Olsen.
Nordaustlandet is the second-largest island in the archipelago of Svalbard, Norway, with an area of 14,443 square kilometres (5,576 sq mi). It lies north east of Spitsbergen, separated by Hinlopen Strait. Much of Nordaustlandet lies under large ice caps, mainly Austfonna and Vestfonna, the remaining parts of the north being tundra inhabited by reindeer and walruses. The island is uninhabited and lies entirely within Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve.
The Norwegian Polar Institute is Norway's central governmental institution for scientific research, mapping and environmental monitoring in the Arctic and the Antarctic. The NPI is a directorate under Norway's Ministry of Climate and Environment. The institute advises Norwegian authorities on matters concerning polar environmental management and is the official environmental management body for Norwegian activities in Antarctica.
Barentsøya, sometimes anglicized as Barents Island, is an island in the Svalbard archipelago of Norway, lying between Edgeøya and Spitsbergen. Barents Island has no permanent human inhabitants. Named for the Dutch explorer Willem Barents, it is a part of Søraust-Svalbard Nature Reserve.
Glacial surges are short-lived events where a glacier can advance substantially, moving at velocities up to 100 times faster than normal. Surging glaciers cluster around a few areas. High concentrations of surging glaciers occur in Svalbard, the Canadian Arctic islands, Alaska and Iceland. In some glaciers, surges can occur in fairly regular cycles, with 15 to 100 or more surge events per year. In other glaciers, surging remains unpredictable. In some glaciers, however, the period of stagnation and build-up between two surges typically lasts 10 to 200 years and is called the quiescent phase. During this period the velocities of the glacier are significantly lower, and the glaciers can retreat substantially.
Svalbard Airport, Longyear is the main airport serving Svalbard in Norway. It is 5 km northwest of Longyearbyen on the west coast, and is the northernmost airport in the world with scheduled public flights. The first airport near Longyearbyen was constructed during World War II. In 1959, it was first used for occasional flights, but could only be used a few months a year. Construction of the new airport at Hotellneset started in 1973, and the airport was opened on 2 September 1975. It is owned and operated by state-owned Avinor.
Newtontoppen is the largest and highest mountain in Svalbard, at 1,713 m. Its peak is the highest point on Svalbard. It is located at the north east corner on the island of Spitsbergen. The nearest settlement is the formerly Soviet coal mining settlement, Pyramiden.The mountain is mostly made of Silurian granite. The mountain was first ascended by Helge Backlund on 4 August 1900.
Adolf Hoel was a Norwegian geologist, environmentalist and Polar region researcher. He led several scientific expeditions to Svalbard and Greenland. Hoel has been described as one of the most iconic and influential figures in Norwegian polar exploration in the first half of the 20th century, alongside Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen. His focus on and research of the polar areas has been largely credited as the reason Norway has sovereignty over Svalbard and Queen Maud Land in the Antarctica. Hoel was the founding director of the Norwegian Polar Institute and served as rector of the University of Oslo and as President of the Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature.
Baltazar Mathias Keilhau was a Norwegian geologist and mountain pioneer. He is regarded as the founder of the discipline of geology in Norway, and has also been credited for the discovery of the Jotunheimen mountain range.
Dunderdalsbreen is a glacier in Wedel Jarlsberg Land at Spitsbergen, Svalbard. It has a length of about four kilometers, and is located between Konglomeratfjellet and Lifjellet.
Antarcticfjellet is a mountain range at the island of Bjørnøya of the Svalbard archipelago, Norway. The highest peak in the range has a height of 360 m.a.s.l.. It is named after the Swedish expedition vessel Antarctic. The mountain range has given name to the geological unit Antarcticfjellet Formation, which is exposed over significant portions of the range.
Hambergfjellet is a mountain at the island of Bjørnøya of the Svalbard archipelago, Norway. It has a height of 440 m.a.s.l.. The mountain is named after Swedish geographer and Arctic explorer Axel Hamberg. The mountain has given name to the geological unit Hambergfjellet Formation, which complete section exposures from the cliffs of Hambergfjellet and Alfredfjellet.
Alfredfjellet is a mountain at the island of Bjørnøya of the Svalbard archipelago, Norway. It has a height of 420 m.a.s.l.. The mountain is named after Swedish geologist and Arctic explorer Alfred Gabriel Nathorst. Geologically, the upper part of the mountain consists of the Permian Miseryfjellet Formation, while the underlying Hambergfjellet Formation displays complete section exposures from the cliffs of Alfredfjellet.
De Geerdalen is a valley in Nordenskiöld Land at Spitsbergen, Svalbard. It is named after Swedish geologist and Arctic explorer Gerard De Geer. The mountain pass of Kreklingpasset divides De Geerdalen from Helvetiadalen. The river of De Geerelva flows through the valley, and debouches into Sassenfjorden at Elveneset.
Botneheia is a mountain in Nordenskiöld Land at Spitsbergen, Svalbard. It has a height of 522 m.a.s.l., and is located south of Sassenfjorden, east of the valley of De Geerdalen.
Tschermakfjellet is a mountain in Dickson Land at Spitsbergen, Svalbard. It has a height of 422 m.a.s.l., and is located between the valley of Sauriedalen and Kongressfjellet. The mountain is named after Austrian mineralogist Gustav Tschermak von Seysenegg.
The Tschermakfjellet Formation is a geological formation in Svalbard, Norway, a subunit of the Kapp Toscana Group. The formation dates to the Late Triassic. It is named after the mountain of Tschermakfjellet in Dickson Land at Spitsbergen, while its type section is found at Botneheia in Nordenskiöld Land. The formation has provided fossils of invertebrates and of an indeterminate pistosaurid.
