Embracing the Darkness in Longyearbyen, Norway, Where the Sun Wonโt Shine Again Until March 8 On October 27, the last sunset was seen in Longyearbyen, Norway. Residents of the 2,400-resident town will not see a sunrise for another 132 days. Longyearbyen is the world’s northernmost settlement and is located on Spitsbergen island in the Svalbard archipelago. Each year, Longyearbyen experiences a polar night, much like Utqiaฤกvik (also known as Barrow), Alaska, does. While the true […] Brains Julia Schneemann | November 4, 2024 0 Comments
Extreme Heat in Svalbard Causes Unprecedented Melting of Arctic Ice Caps This post first appeared on the NASA Earth Observatory website. The Svalbard archipelagoโs ice caps suffered extreme episodes of melting in summer 2024, brought on by exceptionally high air temperatures. Related: Winter 2023/24 Was the Hottest Ever Recorded for the U.S. Situated between mainland Norway and the North Pole, Svalbard is one of the fastest-warming places on the planet. Over […] Guest Author | August 15, 2024 0 Comments
NASA: Record Summer Melting Across Svalbard, Arctic Circle Exceptionally warm air temperatures in summer 2022 have caused record melting across Svalbard. The abundant meltwater, much of which flowed to the ocean, is the latest expression of a rapidly warming climate in Norwayโs ice-covered archipelago. Related: Svalbard Trip Report 2018 | Skiing & Sailing Deep Within The Arctic Circle According to Xavier Fettweis, a climatologist at the University of […] SnowBrains | August 5, 2022 0 Comments
Join Ice Axe Expeditions in 2022 For Skiing and Sailing Deep Within the Arctic Circle Join Ice Axe Expeditions on this intimate and exciting backcountry ski expedition to just 600 miles south of the geographicย North Pole. Spend your days exploring untouched terrain on the remote and beautiful Svalbard.ย Experience the breathtaking scenery and wildlife that draws enthusiasts from around the globe, whileย skiing virtually untracked landscapes that remain the world’s best secret. Related: Svalbard Trip Report 2018 […] SnowBrains | February 9, 2022 1 Comment
Man Killed by Polar Bear in Norway’s Svalbard Islands, Bear Shot and Killed A man was killed by a polar bear after the animal attacked a camping site in Norway’s Svalbard Islands in the Arctic Circle earlier this morning. The attack happened at 4 am and nobody else was injured, although six people were hospitalized for shock.ย The man was taken to a hospital in Longyearbyen, the main settlement of the archipelago, where he […] SnowBrains | August 28, 2020 0 Comments
Hottest Day Ever Recorded in Svalbard, Norway Last Month The hottest day ever recorded in the small town of Longyearbyen occurred on July 26, 2020. The high temperature for the day was 21.7ยบC (71.06ยบF). Longyearbyen is a town of about 3,000 people on the Norwegian island of Svalbard. The town lies just over 620 miles from the North Pole. While July is typically the hottest month of the year, […] Alex Camerino | August 3, 2020 0 Comments
Young Arctic Fox Walks Astonishing 2,700-Miles From Norway to Canada in Just 76 Days A young female Arctic fox, less than 1-year old, has walked across the ice from Norway’s Svalbard islands to northern Canada in an epic journey, covering 2,700 miles in 76 days. “The fox’s journey has left scientists speechless,” according to Greenland’s Sermitsiaq newspaper. Researchers at Norway’s Polar Institute fitted the young fox with a GPS tracking device and released her […] SnowBrains | July 8, 2019 0 Comments
Come Ski & Sail the Arctic with Us | Svalbard 2019 This May, Ice Axe Expeditions in headed to Svalbard, an island group only 600-miles south of the North Pole, to ski and snowboard, explore and frolic, observe and revere.ย They’ve journeyed there many times before and the photos are breathtaking. I was lucky enough to guide on this trip in May 2016, May 2017, and May 2018 and the experience […] Featured Article Miles Clark | March 15, 2019 2 Comments
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