The Abisko Scientific Research Station is situated in the Kiruna municipality, about 200 km north of the arctic circle, and approximately 385 m above sea level, on the south shore of Lake Torneträsk. The lake has an area of about 330 km2, a catchment area of 3,300 km2, and a mean depth of 52 m. Approximately 60 percent of the catchment basin is below the treeline. Forests are composed mainly of mountain birch. The station is situated in a 46-hectare nature reserve close to the Abisko National Park which is 75 km2.
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| Location | ||||
| Description: | Abisko marks the start of Kungsleden, a 500 km long hiking trial running through Sweden. One of the natural phenomena is the canyon, where the stream Abiskojokk has dug into the rock, forming walls over 20 metres high. The cliff faces show a cross-section of the local geology. The area has a varied topography, geomorphology, geology and climate, as well as flora and fauna. From the mountaintop of Njulla, to which there is a cable car, there is a magnificent view of Torneträsk in the north and the well-known Lapporten in the east. The lime-rich rock is favourable to plant life, and some of the rarest plants of the mountain regions are found here. Abisko's best-known flower is the protected orchid Lapp Orchid, which grows nowhere else in the country. There is also a rich fauna here including many small birds, such as the rare Arctic Warbler. Mammalian life includes martins, stout, lemmings and elks. | |||
| Country: | Sweden | |||
| State/Province/Region: | Norrbotten | |||
| Altitude in feet: | 1263 | |||
| Altitude in meters: | 385 | |||
| Latitude (Decimal, Degreesºmm'ss") : | 68.35° N 68º21'00" N | |||
| Longitude (Decimal, Degreesºmm'ss") : | 18.82° E 18º49'00" E | |||
| Environment Types Accessible at this Location | ||||
| Interior, Lake, Tundra, Taiga, Forest | ||||
| Local History and Culture | ||||
| Description: | ||||
| Primary Logistics Provider | ||||
| Name and title of contact person: | Terry Callaghan, Director | |||
| Address: | Abisko Naturvetenskapliga Station, ANS (Abisko Scientific Research Station) SE-981 07 Abisko, Sweden |  | ||
| Telephone: | +46-9804-0021 or +46-9804-0039 for Guests | |||
| Fax: | +46-9804-0171 | |||
| E-mail: | 106032.2441@compuserve.com ans@ans.kiruna.se | |||
| Contact person or agency web page: | http://www.ans.kiruna.se/ans.htm | |||
| Primary Management Agency | ||||
| Organization: | The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences | |||
| Contact information: | Box 50005 SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden | |||
| Telephone: | +46-8673-9500 | |||
| Fax: | +46-815-5670 | |||
| Email: | info@kva.se | |||
| Web site: | http://www.kva.se/ | |||
| Availability and Cost | ||||
| Availability: | Application for accommodation and working space should include a brief plan of the precise nature of the research, the desired time schedule, personal particulars and a degree certificate. Download an application form from the stations web site ( http://www.ans.kiruna.se/ans.htm , click on Application Form) and return as an email attachment to the address: registration@ans.kiruna.se . They prefer an email attachment but it is also possibly to send the form to the address: Abisko Naturvetenskapliga station, S-981 07 Abisko, Sweden. | |||
| User fee: | Please check the website at http://www.ans.kiruna.se/ans.htm and click on Prices. | |||
| Advance arrangements: | Application for the summer season must be submitted no later than April 1st. | |||
| Permits and Legal Issues | ||||
| Permit contact person, name and title: | Information and an electronic application form are available on the station's web site at: http://www.ans.kiruna.se/guests/protocol.htm. | |||
| Physical Access | ||||
| Air service, Train, Helicopter, Airstrip, Road, Bus | ||||
| Accessibility: | Abisko Scientific Research Station is reached by car, bus or train. Within one hour car journey there are two airports, Evenes in Norway and Kiruna in Sweden. | |||
| Commercial air services: | -Kiruna Flyg/ Kallax Flyg, Box 214, SE-981 24 Kiruna, Sweden (Tel.: +46-9802-0250, Fax: +46-9802-0251, Email: info@kirunaflyg.se , Web: http://www.kirunaflyg.se/ ) -SAS Kiruna Lappland, SE-981 22 Kiruna, Sweden (Reservations: +46-8797-2688, Tel.: +46-9802-84800, Fax: +46-9802-84821, Web: http://www.sas.se/ ) | |||
| Road: | Car rental companies: During the winter, the cars are equipped with studded tires. -AVIS, Box 3, SE-982 21 Kiruna, Sweden (Tel.: +46-9801-3080, Fax: +46-9701-6034, Email: avis.kiruna@telia.com , Web: http://www.avis.com/ ) -Europcar, Rapps Biluthyrn & Försäljn AB, Box 2042, SE-981 02 Kiruna, Sweden (Tel.: +46-9808-0759, Fax: +46-9808-0044, Email: kiruna@europcar.se , Web: http://www.europcar.se/ ) -Hertz Biluthyrning/Norrskensuthyrningen, Box 807, SE-981 28 Kiruna, Sweden (Tel.: +46-9801-9000, Fax: +46-9801-9320, Email: hertz.kiruna@telia.com , Web: http://www.hertz.com/ ) Bus charter companies: -Kiruna Buss AB, Konduktörsgatan 15D, SE-981 34 Kiruna, Sweden (Tel.: +46-9801-2400, Fax: +46-9808-2900, Mobile: 070-542 42 79, Email: robert@kirunabuss.se , Web: http://www.kirunabuss.se/ ) -Kiruna Trafik, Maskinvägen 1, SE-981 38 Kiruna, Sweden (Tel.: +46-9801-5690, Fax: +46-9801-9580, Email: kirunatrafik@telia.com ) -Swebus, Industrivägen 11, SE-981 38 Kiruna, Sweden (Tel.: +46-9801-7044, Fax: +46-9808-1769, Email: kiruna@swebus.se , Web: http://www.swebus.se/ ) | |||
| Heliport: | -Polarhelikopter i Kiruna AB, Box 170, SE-981 23 Kiruna, Sweden (Tel.: +46-9808-3055, Fax: +46-9801-9372, Email: info@polarhelikopter.se , Web: http://www.polarhelikopter.se/ ) | |||
| Comments: | For train/rail bookings and information -Svenska Tågkompaniet AB, Box 45, SE-971 02 Luleå, Sweden (Tel.: +46-9202-33333, Fax: +46-9202-33339, Web: http://www.tagkompaniet.se/ ) | |||
| Other Local Resources | ||||
| Resource: | Projects at Abisko Scientific Research Station, Royal Swedish Acedemy of Sciences Box 62, SE-981 07 Abisko, Sweden | |||
| Contact information: | -Lake Torne Area Biosphere Reserve (Tel: +46-9804-0021, Fax: +46-9804-0171, Email: christer.jonasson@ans.kiruna.se , Web: http://www.laketornebr.org/english/englishindex.htm ) -Latnjajaure: Swedish field site in The International Tundra Experiment (Tel: +46-9804-0021, Fax: +46-9804-0171,Email: ulf.molau@botany.gu.se , Web: http://www.systbot.gu.se/research/latnja/latnja.html ) -Tundra-Taiga Initiative, Dr Ben R Werkman, Climate Impacts Research Centre (Tel.: + 46-9804-0280, Fax: +46-9804-0219, Email: ben.werkman@ans.kiruna.se, Web: http://www.iasc.no/ProjectCatalogue/Tundra-TaigaInitiative.htm ) -CIRC: Climate Impacts Research Centre (Tel.: +46-9804-0021, Email: circ@ans.kiruna.se , Web: http://www.eg.umu.se/circ/ ) -DART: Dynamic response of the forest–tundra ecotone to environmental change (Web: http://www.dur.ac.uk/DART/ ) -SCANNET: Scandinavian / North European Network of Terrestrial Field Bases (Web: http://www.envicat.com/scannet/Scannet ) -PINE: Predicting Impacts on Natural Ecotones (Email: sheila.hicks@oulu.fi , Web: http://www.pine.oulu.fi/ ) -ACIA: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, Dr. Gunter Weller, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Box 747740, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7740 (Tel.: 907-474-7371, Fax: 907-474-6722, Email: gunter@gi.alaska.edu , Web: http://www.acia.uaf.edu/ ) | |||
| Resource: | Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF), Head Office, Kiruna | |||
| Contact information: | The research activities at IRF in Kiruna concern studies of phenomena in the Earth's upper atmosphere, the ionosphere, and planetary magnetospheres. Box 812, SE-981 28 Kiruna, Sweden Tel.: +46-9807-9000 Fax: +46-9807-9050 info@irf.se, irf@irf.se http://www.irf.se/irfk.html | |||
| Resource: | Accommodation and Dining | |||
| Contact information: | -Abisko Fjällturer, Box 71, 981 07 Abisko, Sweden (Tel.: +46-9804-0103, Fax: +46-9804-0050, Mobile: 070-215 80 38, Email: info@abisko.net , Web: http://www.abisko.net/ ) -Abisko Turiststation, STF AB, 981 07 Abisko, Sweden (Tel.: +46-9804-0200, Fax: +46-9804-0140, Email: info@abisko.stfturist.se , Web: http://www.abisko.nu/ ) -Camp Abisko AB, Box 71, 981 07 Abisko, Sweden (Tel.: +46-9804-0148, Fax: +46-9804-0210, Email: info@campabisko.com , Web: http://www.campabisko.com/ ) -Hotell Lapporten/AKJ Trading, Box 9, 981 07 Abisko, Sweden (Tel.: +46-9806-6700, Fax: +46-9804-0248, Email: mail@lapporten.com , Web: http://www.lapporten.com/ ) | |||
| Resource: | Outfitters/Tour Operators | |||
| Contact information: | Please check the listings of local Kiruna businesses at http://kiruna.se/ or http://www.visit-sweden.com/ | |||
| Infrastructure | ||||
| Electricity, Heat, Running water, Roads | ||||
| Communications and Data Systems | ||||
| Fax send/receive, Telephone system, Local area network (LAN), Internet access | ||||
| Comments: | All of the station's computers are networked and access to email and Internet is provided. Access to telephone, fax and copy machines is provided. | |||
| Buildings | ||||
| Lodging, Food service, Sanitation | ||||
| Buildings: | The station consists of new or recently renovated buildings and is kept open throughout the year. The 37 work rooms and laboratories cover an area extending 1050 square meters. The station has a library with limited number of geo- and eco-science journals and a range of relevant textbooks. At the station there are two lecture theatres that together host almost 100 guests. A lounge, excercise room, guest lockers, drying rooms, saunas and fully equipped kitchens and dining rooms for self-catering are also available. | |||
| Lodging: | Accomodation is available in 28 rooms with 2 beds, 6 rooms with 4 beds and in two family apartments. There are 5 small field research cabins in both subalpine and alpine environments within distances of 10-30 km from Abisko. | |||
| Year-round lodging: | The station's lodging facilities are open year round. | |||
| Food service: | A larger kitchen and a dining room for approximately 50 people are intended mainly for conferences and courses. The station can provide meals, but not under normal circumstances, and only for short periods. Meals are obtainable during the tourist season at the tourist hotels, grocery store, and guest houses (within a 10-15 minute walk). | |||
| Special use buildings: | The workshop is equipped for all of the usual work with metal, wood, plastic and paint and for the repair and maintenance of cars and other motor vehicles. | |||
| Laboratory Space | ||||
| Electricity in lab space, General use computers / printers in lab space, Desk/office space, Library, Wet lab, Dry lab, Winter lab, Microscope, Balance, Fume hood, Drying oven, Place to mount antennas, Clean room, Workshop, Machine shop | ||||
| Lab space: | The 37 workrooms and laboratories include chemistry, radio and geolaboratories, microscopy, drawing and computer rooms, an integral greenhouse, a darkroom and a growth room. Cold rooms (-30°C, -5°C, +5°C) and rooms with balances and drying ovens (for biological materials, soil samples etc.) are also available. Near the meteorological observatory, there are two experimental gardens, measuring approximately 5 by 10 m and 10 by 10 m. The laboratories contain general equipment, such as basic chemicals and instruments, as well as more specialized equipment, for example, for eco-physiological and meteorological research. | |||
| Science Support Equipment | ||||
| Science support equipment: | List of equipment and material that can be used by visiting scientists, some free of charge, others only available after special agreement: Small scissors and tweezers (various sizes) Scalpels Altimeter Hygrometer Compasses Stop watch Stop watch/timer Handlens with scale Tape-measure (50 and 20m) Tree borer Waterproof recording pad Pruring shears (secateurs) Vernier callipers Protecting goggles Drafting papers Anemometer Thermohygrographs Tents (2 and 3 people) Storm cooker Cusion insulation Mosquito hat Butterfly net (simple) Microtome (simple) Elder pitch Braun 2000 battery-operated flash unit Hasselblad camera 500 f80mm (1:1.8) and telecamera tripoid Uher tape recorder | |||
| Vehicles available: | A boat operating on Lake Torneträsk can hold 12 people. It is equipped with an echo sounder. | |||
| Medical Facilities/Services Available | ||||
| Hospital | ||||
| Hospital: | Kiruna Hospital Box 805 SE-98128 Kiruna, Sweden Tel.: +46-9807-3000 Fax: +46-9808-2791 E-mail: kirunaforvaltningen@nll.se Web: http://www.nll.se/ | |||
| Distance to nearest medical facility (km): | 120 | |||
| Distance to nearest medical facility in miles: | 75 | |||
| Weather Information and Statistics | ||||
| Weather information source for the research area: | Weather records since 1913 are available through the Abisko Station's web site: http://www.ans.kiruna.se/ click on Weather Data | |||
| Annual average temperature (*C): | 1 | |||
| Annual average temperature (*F): | 34 | |||
| Annual average high temperature (*C): | 11 | |||
| Annual average high temperature (*F): | 52 | |||
| Annual average low temperature (*C): | -12 | |||
| Annual average low temperature (*F): | 10.5 | |||
| Annual precipitation in millimeters: | 304 | |||
| Annual precipitation in inches: | 12 | |||
| Current Projects and Research History | ||||
| Research sources: | Click here for information on research in the vicinity of Abisko from the database of Veco Polar Resources. | |||