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Ny-Ålesund is a hub for a number of international research facilities, which are being added to the ALIAS database (see the list under Other Local Resources" below). This page will serve as an overview, with information about Ny-Ålesund itself, and links to pages on the many resources in the area:
Page header images are from photos
courtesy of: Kings Bay AS, which operates the settlement of Ny-Ålesund. |
| Location | ||||
| Description: |  Ny-Ålesund is one of the world’s northernmost human settlements. It is situated on Kongsfjorden – the King’s fjord – on north-western Spitsbergen, which is the largest of the Svalbard islands. Surrounded by mountains and glaciers, which at several places stretch well out into the sea, the town lies in one of the most scenic areas of Svalbard. The Ny-Ålesund area consists of typical high-Arctic ecosystems, with both marine and terrestrial components. It offers a variety of Arctic fjord environments, from calving glacier fronts to sandy beaches, providing superb opportunities for marine research. The terrestrial environments in the Kongsfjorden area, including several bird and plant sanctuaries, are rich in wildlife and also provide ample opportunities for research. The geology of the Kongsfjorden area is very diverse, and the area offers sites ranging from rocks and cliffs exposed to the raging Arctic seas on the tip of the Brøgger peninsula to protected coves in the inner parts of the fjord. This diversity is reflected in the vegetation, which varies from bleak ’Arctic desert’ to lush tundra and grassland communities. Kings Bay AS runs and operates Ny-Ålesund. Here Kings Bay is delivering infrastructure as well as logistic services, such as full board and lodging to scientists and research stations operating in Ny-Ålesund. Ny-Ålesund is situated on the south side of the deep and sheltered Kongsfjord on the west coast of Spitsbergen. The southern shore alone provides 50 km of tundra and alluvial plain. A plant protection area at the head of the fjord is bounded by glaciers and sea. Access to other shores and islands is possible by a NERC owned boat. Numerous glaciers of various types bisect the 500 m peaks. Most bird species found in Svalbard are represented in the area with barnacle geese, eider duck, terns and kittiwakes nesting in large numbers. Land mammals include reindeer, fox and the occasional visit by bear. The local fjord is home to ringed, bearded and common seals, walrus and beluga. | |||
| Phonetic pronunciation: | nu-oleson | |||
| Country: | Norway | |||
| State/Province/Region: | Svalbard | |||
| Latitude (Decimal, Degreesºmm'ss") : | 78.9166º N 78º55'00" N | |||
| Longitude (Decimal, Degreesºmm'ss") : | 11.933º E 11º56'00" E | |||
| Environment Types Accessible at this Location | ||||
| Marine, Sea ice, Glacier, Coastal, Interior, Riparian, Wetland, Lake, Tundra, Taiga, Forest, Desert | ||||
| Local History and Culture | ||||
| Description: | The first building in Ny-Ålesund was built in 1901 by the coal mining company Bergen Spitsbergen Kullgrubekompani. Kings Bay Kull Compani A/S, another coal mining company, established itself in Ny-Ålesund in 1917. The coal mining was closed down in 1929, and the Norwegian government took over the stock of KBKC in 1933. Mining was started again in 1945 and Ny-Ålesund rapidly grew to a mining community of about 200 persons. The coal mining continued until 1963 when, due to a major accident in November of 1962, the Norwegian Parliament permanently terminated all mining in Ny-Ålesund. In 1968 the government decided to have the Norwegian Polar Institute establish as research station in Ny-Ålesund. Since then, the development of Ny-Ålesund as an international research base has been the main reason for maintaining and developing the town. Kings Bay AS (KB), which today is a state-owned corporation under the Ministry of Commerce and Energy, still owns the properties and is responsible for maintaining and developing the town's infrastructure. | |||
| Local languages: | Norwegian, Russian, English | |||
| Primary Logistics Provider | ||||
| Organization: | Kings Bay AS (KB) | |||
| Address: | 9173 Ny-Ålesund, Norway | |||
| Telephone: | +47-79-027111 | |||
| Fax: | +47-79-027113 | |||
| E-mail: | direktor@kingsbay.no | |||
| Contact person or agency web page: | http://www.kingsbay.no/ | |||
| Availability and Cost | ||||
| Availability: | Ny-Ålesund is available year round to scientists and researchers. | |||
| User fee: | Please contact Kings Bay AS for rates and prices. | |||
| Physical Access | ||||
| Air service, Helicopter, Shipping freight, Airstrip, Seaport | ||||
| Accessibility: | The light-aircraft flights to Ny-Ålesund are primarily reserved for the researchers and employees working there. During the summer, it is possible to travel to Ny-Ålesund by boat. | |||
| Air service description: | During winter season there are 1-2 scheduled flights to Ny-Ålesund from Longyearbyen every week, usually Mondays and Thursdays. During the spring and summer season there are three scheduled flights. Often extra flights are offered. Flights can also be chartered on request. | |||
| Airstrip description: | The air strip in Ny-Ålesund is 800 m long and services an 18 seat Dornier 228-202 on a regular basis for Kings Bay AS. Tickets are arranged through Kings Bay AS, who also take care of passenger and baggage handling in Ny-Ålesund. | |||
| Commercial air services: | Booking of flight tickets should be done through Kings Bay AS. Tel.: +47-79027200 Fax: +47-79027201 Email: booking@kingsbay.no Web: http://www.kingsbay.no/ | |||
| Information on the most practical way to send freight: | All cargo arriving in or leaving Ny-Ålesund is dealt with by Kings Bay AS generally and by the reception (airfreight) or harbourmaster (seafreight) specifically. To send goods from or to Ny-Ålesund to check the links below: Sending cargo up to Ny-Ålesund: http://www.kingsbay.no/english/goods_to_nya.htm Send goods from Ny-Ålesund : http://www.kingsbay.no/english/goods_from_nya.htm | |||
| Seaport: | Kings Bay AS owns and operates Ny-Ålesund Harbour situated on the southern shore of Kongsfjord at 78° 56' North 11° 56' East. The quay which was built at 9 m depth at an angle from the shore, with two legs each 70 m and 40 m long, can handle cargo up to 50 tons. Depending on ice conditions in the fjord the pier is accessible most of the time throughout the year, with the busiest months being June, July and August when numerous cruise-ships, expedition vessels and sailboats berth here. Services provided among others are availability of freshwater and fuel as well as a fax and telephone connection. For futher inquiries contact: Kings Bay AS Harbourmaster N - 9173 Ny- Ålesund Tel.: +47-79-027240 Fax: +47-79-027246 Email: harbour-master@kingsbay.no Web: http://www.kingsbay.no/ [Click on Harbour] | |||
| Other Local Resources | ||||
| Resource: | Norwegian resources. | |||
| Contact information: | -Zeppelin Mountain Station -Norwegian Polar Institute (NP) 9173 Ny-Ålesund, Norway Tel.: +47-79-027115 Fax: +47-79-027002 Email: stationmanager@npolar.no Web: http://www.npolar.no/ -Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) The Polar Environmental Centre 9296 Tromsø, Norway Tel.: +47-77-750375 Fax: +47-77-750376 Email: paal.berg@nilu.no Web: http://www.nilu.no/ -Space Geodetic Observatory -SVALRAK Sounding Rocket Launch Facility Norwegian Space Centre (NSC) SvalRak, Andøya Rocket Range Box 54, 8480 Andenes, Norway Tel.: +47-76-144420 Fax: +47-76-144401 Email: kjell@rocketrange.no Web: http://www.rocketrange.no -Sverdrup Research Station -The Roald Amundsen Centre for Arctic Research Dr. Geir Gotaas University of Tromsø N-9037 Tromsø, Norway Office location: Glassmester Eriksen-bygget, Breivika, Tromsø Tel.: +47-7764-5240 Fax: +47-7767-6672 Email: Geir.Gotaas@arctic.uit.no Web: http://www.arctic.uit.no/English/ -NySMAC (Ny-Ålesund Science Managers Committee) c/o Norwegian Polar Institute Svalbard Box 505, 9171 Longyearbyen, Norway Tel.: +47-79-022600 Fax: +47-79-022604 Email: nysmac@npolar.no Web: http://npolar.no/nysmac/ -Ny-Ålesund Large-Scale Facility (LSF) Programme secretary: Marit R. Pettersen Programme co-ordinator: Jon Børre Ørbæk Norwegian Polar Institute Svalbard Box 505 N-9171 Longyearbyen Norway Tel.: +47-79-022623 Fax: +47-79-022604 Email: nyaa-lsf@npolar.no Web: http://www.npolar.no/nyaa-lsf/ -The Governor of Svalbard Box 633 N-9171 Longyearbyen Norway Tel.: +47-79-024300 Fax: +47-79-021166 | |||
| Resource: | International resources. | |||
| Contact information: | -[Sweden] Stockholm University (MISU) Dept. of Meteorology Arrhenius Laboratory 10691, Stockholm, Sweden Tel.: +46-8-164352 Fax: +46-8-159295 Email: kim@misu.su.se Web: http://www.misu.su.se/ ] -[Germany] GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam (GFZ) Telegrafenberg A17 D-14473 Potsdam, GERMANY Tel.: +49-331-2881100 Fax: +49-331-2281111 Email: reigber@gfz-potsdam.de Web: http://www.gfz-potsdam.de/welcome_en.html -[Germany] Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) Koldewey Station, 9173 Ny-Ålesund, Norway Tel.: +47-79-027114 Fax: +47-79-027132 Email: ykramer@awi-koldewey.no Web: http://www.awi-bremerhaven.de/ or http://www.awi-potsdam.de/www-pot/koldewey/kolfacil.html -[United Kingdom] Harland (NERC) Arctic Station -[Japan] National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) Rabben, 9173 Ny-Ålesund, Norway Tel.: +47-79-027107 Fax: +47-79-027005 Tokyo address: National Institute of Polar Research 1-9-10, Kaga, Itabashi-ku Tokyo 173, Japan Tel.: +81-33962-4742 Fax: +81-33962-5701 Email: arctic@nipr.ac.jp Web: http://www-arctic.nipr.ac.jp/ or http://www.nipr.ac.jp/english/r_centers/t01_aerc.html -[France] Institut Francais Polaire, Paul Emile Victor (IPEV) Technopôle Brest-Iroise, BP 75 29280 Plouzané, France Tel.: +33-298-056-556 Fax: +33-298-056-555 Email: franck.delbart@ifrtp.ifremer.fr Web: http://www.france.no/science/spitsberg/index.html -[Italy] Dirigibile Italia Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) 9173, Ny-Ålesund, Norway Tel.: +47-79-027145 Fax: +47-79-027151 Email: baseartico@ntserver.iia.mlib.cnr.it Web: http://www.polar.rm.cnr.it/ or http://www.cnr.it/sitocnr/home.html Italian address: CNR-DCAS Segreteria Tecnico-Scientifica per il Programma Antartide Viale Marx 15 00137 Roma, Italy Tel: +3-6-860-90307-508 Fax: +39-6-860-90360 Email: morbidon@dcas.cnr.it -[Korea] Dasan Station Korea Ocean Research & Development Institute (KORDI) 9173 Ny-Ålesund, Norway Tel.: +47-79-027642 or +47-79-027643 Email: shkang@kordi.re.kr Korean address: Polar Research Center Ansan Box 29 Seoul, 425-600, Korea Tel.: +82-31-4006410 Fax: +82-31-4085825 Email: ydkim@kordi.re.kr Web: http://www.kordi.re.kr/ -[Netherlands] University of Groningen (UoG) Arctic Centre Box 716 9700 AS Groningen, The Netherlands Tel.: +31-50-363-6834 Fax: +31-50-363-4900 Email: m.j.j.e.loonen@biol.rug.nl Web: http://odin.let.rug.nl/arctic/ | |||
| Infrastructure | ||||
| Roads, Running water, Electricity, Heat, Post office, Mail service | ||||
| Electricity specifications: | -Power station, contact Magne Tangen (Tel.: +47-79-027242, Fax: +47-79-027233, Email: kraftstasjon@kingsbay.no ) | |||
| Mail service: | A full status Norwegian post office. | |||
| Comments on infrastructure: | Kings Bay (KB) manages all necessary services n the community such as the provision of food, electricity and water. KB is also responsible for the maintenance of buildings and roads, the diposal of refuse and sewage and runs the post office, the hotel, the local store as well as Ny-Ålesund's airport and quay. Depending on the season, the company has a permanent staff of 20-25 employees living and working in Ny-Ålesund and all of them are involved in running the settlement throughout the year. Ny-Ålesund is situated in a pristine and vulnerable environment, where the cold conditions tend to preserve waste rather than degrade them. The community has been selected by the Norwegian government to be a 'green scientific station' , i.e. a place that takes special care of its natural environment . The goal is zero waste deposit in Ny-Ålesund. The main requirement is to take all unused, used or broken supplies back home and to be conscious of what you bring to this environment. | |||
| Communications and Data Systems | ||||
| Internet access, Telephone system, Fax send/receive, Local area network (LAN), Radio communications | ||||
| Network: | Ny-Ålesund has standard ISDN and analog telephone lines operated by the Norwegian telecommunication company Telenor. Costs for phonecalls are based on Norwegian rates. | |||
| Buildings | ||||
| Lodging, Food service, Sanitation, Storage, Indoor staging space, Workshop and garage | ||||
| Lodging: | Kings Bay AS offer accommodation for up to 150 persons. Each station may have additional housing available. | |||
| Science Support Personnel Available | ||||
| Science support laborers, Computer technicians, Science support mechanics, Science support shop crew | ||||
| Comments: | Kings Bay AS supports the scientists with different kinds of handicraft work such as plumbing, carpenting, electrical work, computer assistance, mechanics etc. | |||
| Supplies Available at or Near the Facility | ||||
| Groceries | ||||
| Groceries: | At the local store - known as Kongsfjord butikken - souvenirs, post cards, stamps, film, sweets and some everyday items can be bought. The store is open three times a week most of the year for a couple of hours. For details please check with the Kings Bay reception in the service-building. | |||
| Medical Facilities/Services Available | ||||
| Health clinic: | There is a medical station in Ny-Ålesund, but there are no doctors or nurses in regular attendance. Several times a year medical staff will travel from Longyearbyen and set up shop. | |||
| Hospital: | The nearest hospital is in Longyearbyen: Longyearbyen Hospital, N-9170 Longyearbyen (Tel.: +47-79-021705, Fax: +47-79-021219) embraces all health services in Spitzbergen, and is a hospital for emergency medicine. | |||
| Weather Information and Statistics | ||||
| Weather information source for the research area: | A five day forecast is available at http://www.weatherunderground.com/global/stations/01007.html?extendedsun=sunon and good meteorological data at http://www.awi-bremerhaven.de/MET/NyAlesund/wettertab.html | |||
| Annual average temperature (*C): | -6.3 | |||
| Annual average temperature (*F): | 20.66 | |||
| Annual average high temperature (*C): | 4.9 | |||
| Annual average high temperature (*F): | 40.82 | |||
| Annual average low temperature (*C): | -14.6 | |||
| Annual average low temperature (*F): | 5.72 | |||
| Annual precipitation in millimeters: | 300 | |||
| Annual precipitation in inches: | 11.81 | |||
| Current Projects and Research History | ||||
| Research sources: | Research in Svalbard: http://www.npolar.no/ris/ Click here for information on research in the vicinity of Ny-Ålesund from the database of Veco Polar Resources. | |||