A number of governments maintain permanent research stations in the Arctic. Also known as Arctic bases, polar stations or ice stations, these bases are widely distributed across the northern polar region of the earth.
Historically few research stations have been permanent. Most of them were temporary, being abandoned after the completion of the project or owing to lack of funding to continue the research. Some of these were military or intelligence stations (listening posts) created as a result of the proximity of the U.S. and Soviet Union to each other's landmass across the polar region.
Ice stations are constructed on land or on ice that rests on land, while others are drifting ice stations built on the sea ice of the high latitudes of the Arctic Ocean.[1]
Station name |
Location | Operating country |
Year opened |
Year closed |
---|---|---|---|---|
Abisko Scientific Research Station | Abisko, Sápmi | Sweden | 1903 | Active |
Adam Mickiewicz University Polar Station | Petuniabukta, Svalbard, Norway | Poland | 2011 | Active |
Alomar Observatory[2] | Andøya Space, Andøya, Svalbard | Norway | 1994 | Active |
Arctic Yellow River Station | Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway | China | 2003 | Active |
AWIPEV Arctic Research Station | Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway | France Germany |
2003 | Active |
Barrow Observatory[3] | Point Barrow, Alaska | United States | 1973 | Active |
Begichev Polar Station | Maly Begichev Island, Krasnoyarsk Krai | Soviet Union Russia |
NA | Abandoned |
Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Polar Station[4] | Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island. Sakha | Soviet Union Russia |
NA | Abandoned |
Brønlundhus | Peary Land, Greenland | Denmark | 1947 | Transformed into a museum |
Buor-Khaya Polar Station[5] | Buor-Khaya Gulf, Sakha | Soviet Union Russia |
NA | Abandoned |
Canadian High Arctic Research Station[6] (CHARS) campus | Cambridge Bay, Nunavut | Canada | TBA | Active |
Centrumsø Research Station | Centrum Lake, Greenland | Denmark | 1954 | Abandoned |
Chelyuskin Polar Station[7] | Cape Chelyuskin, Krasnoyarsk Krai | Soviet Union Russia |
1932 | Active |
Chetyrokhstolbovoy Polar Station[8] | Medvezhyi Islands, Sakha | Soviet Union Russia |
1933 | Active |
Churchill Northern Studies Centre[9] (CNSC) | Churchill, Manitoba | Canada | 1976 | Active |
Czech Arctic Research Station | Longyearbyen and Petuniabukta, Svalbard, Norway | Czechia | 2014 | Active |
Daneborg | Wollaston Foreland, Greenland | Denmark | 1944 | NA |
Danmarkshavn | Dove Bay, Greenland | Denmark | 1906 | Active |
Dirigibile Italia Arctic Station | Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway | Italy | 1997 | Active |
Dr. Neil Trivett Global Atmosphere Watch Observatory | Alert, Nunavut | Canada | 1986 | Active |
Dye 3 | Four different locations in southern Greenland | United States | 1971 | 1991 |
Ernst Krenkel Observatory | Heiss Island, Arkhangelsk Oblast | Soviet Union | 1956 | 1980 |
Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station | Devon Island, Nunavut | Canada | 2001 | Active |
Golomyanniy Island Polar Station[10][11] | Sredniy Island, off Severnaya Zemlya | Soviet Union Russia |
1954 | NA |
Heiberg Polar Station[12] | Heiberg Islands, Krasnoyarsk Krai | Soviet Union Russia |
1940 | 1995 |
Himadri[13] | Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway | India | 2008 | Active |
Igloolik Research Centre[14] | Igloolik, Nunavut | Canada | 1975 | Active |
IndARC[15] | Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, Norway | India | 2014 | Active |
International Biological Station Lena-Nordenskiöld[16] | Tiksi, Sakha | Russia | 1995 | Active |
Iqaluit Research Centre[17][18] | Iqaluit, Nunavut | Canada | 1978 | Active |
Isachsen Station | Ellef Ringnes Island, Nunavut | Canada | 1948 | 1978 |
Izluchin Polar Station | Komsomolets Island, Severnaya Zemlya, Krasnoyarsk Krai | Soviet Union Russia |
NA | Abandoned |
Kevo Research Station[19] | Kevo | Finland | 1958 | Active |
Kap Harald Moltke | Peary Land, Greenland | Denmark | 1972 | NA |
Kigilyakh Research Station[20] | Kigilyakh Peninsula, Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island, New Siberian Islands | Soviet Union Russia |
NA | NA |
Kilpisjärvi Biological Station[21][22] | Kilpisjärvi | Finland | 1964 | Active |
Kiruna Observatory | Kiruna | Sweden | NA | NA |
Kluane Lake Research Station[23] | Kluane Lake, Yukon | Canada | 1961 | Active |
Koldewey Station | Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway | Germany | 1991 | Active, part of APIWEV station |
Kolyuchin Polar Station | Kolyuchin Island, Chukotka | Soviet Union Russia |
NA | Abandoned in the 1990s |
Labytnangi Ecological Research Station[24] | Labytnangi, Yamalo-Nenets | Soviet Union Russia |
1954 | Active |
Lavrentiya Research Station | Lavrentiya, Chukotka | Soviet Union Russia |
NA | NA |
McGill Arctic Research Station[25] | Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut | Canada | 1960 | Active |
Mestersvig | Scoresby Land, Greenland | Denmark | 1956 | Active |
Mývatn Research Station | Mývatn | Iceland | 1975 | Active |
NEEM Camp | Northern Greenland ice sheet, Greenland | Denmark | 2008 | 2015 |
Netherlands Arctic Station, Univ Groningen[26] | Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway | Netherlands | 1995 | active |
Nicolaus Copernicus University Polar Station | Kaffiøyra, Svalbard, Norway | Poland | 1975 | Active |
Station Nord | Princess Ingeborg Peninsula, Greenland | Denmark | 1952 | Active |
North Ice | Northern Greenland ice sheet, Greenland | United Kingdom | 1952 | 1954 |
Northeast Science Station[27] | Chersky, Sakha | Soviet Union Russia |
1977 | Active |
Ny-Ålesund[28] | Spitsbergen, Svalbard | Norway | 1967 | Active |
Peschanny Polar Station | Cape Unslicht, Bolshevik Island, Severnaya Zemlya | Soviet Union Russia |
NA | Abandoned |
Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory[29][30] (PEARL) | Eureka, Nunavut | Canada | 1993 | Active |
Polish Polar Station | Hornsund, Svalbard, Norway | Poland | 1957 | Active |
Popov Polar Station[31] | Bely Island, Yamalo-Nenets | Soviet Union Russia |
November 1, 1933 | March 2001 |
Preobrazheniya Polar Station | Preobrazheniya Island, Sakha | Soviet Union Russia |
NA | Abandoned |
Prima Polar Station[32] | Cape Baranov, Bolshevik Island, Severnaya Zemlya | Soviet Union Russia |
NA | Active |
Provideniya Research Station | Provideniya, Chukotka | Soviet Union Russia |
NA | NA |
Resolute Nunavut Station[33] | Resolute, Nunavut | Canada | 1947 | NA |
Russky Island Arctic Station[34] | Russky Island, Nordenskiöld Archipelago, Krasnoyarsk Krai | Soviet Union Russia |
1935 | 1999 |
Samoylov Station[35] | Lena Delta Wildlife Reserve, Sakha | Russia | 1998 | Active |
Samuila Polar Station | Samuila Island, Komsomolskaya Pravda Islands, Krasnoyarsk Krai | Soviet Union Russia |
NA | Abandoned |
Sermilik Station | Ammassalik Island, Greenland | Denmark | 1970 | Active |
Sodankylä Arctic Research Centre[36] | Sodankylä | Finland | NA | NA |
Solnechny Polar Station[37] | Solnechny Bay, Bolshevik Island, Severnaya Zemlya | Soviet Union Russia |
1952 | Abandoned |
Stanisław Baranowski Spitsbergen Polar Station | Werenskioldbreen, Svalbard, Norway | Poland | 1971 | Active |
Stolbovoy Meteorological Station[38] | Stolbovoy Island, Sakha | Soviet Union Russia |
NA | Abandoned |
Summit Station | Near summit of the Greenland ice sheet, Greenland | United States | April 1989 | Active |
Thule Research Station[39] | Pituffik, Greenland | Denmark | 1995 | Active |
Toolik Field Station[40] | Toolik Lake, Alaska | United States | 1975 | Active |
Troynoy Island Polar Station[41] | Izvestiy TSIK Islands, Krasnoyarsk Krai | Soviet Union Russia |
1953 | Active |
Tuktoyaktuk Station[42] | Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories | Canada | NA | 1997 |
Tundra Ecosystem Research Station[43][44] (TERS) | Daring Lake, Northwest Territories | Canada | 1994 | Active |
Tyrtov Island Polar Station | Tyrtov Island, Nordenskiöld Archipelago, Krasnoyarsk Krai | Soviet Union | 1940 | 1975 |
Uedineniya Polar Station | Uyedineniya Island, Krasnoyarsk Krai | Soviet Union Russia |
NA | 1996 |
University of Copenhagen Arctic Station | Qeqertarsuaq, Greenland | Denmark | 1906 | Active |
Ushakov Island Polar Station | Ushakov Island, Krasnoyarsk Krai | Soviet Union | 1954 | 1980s |
Vavilov Meteorological Station[45] | October Revolution Island, Severnaya Zemlya | Soviet Union | 1974 | 1988 |
Vize Island Arctic Research Station | Vize Island, Krasnoyarsk Krai | Soviet Union Russia |
November 1, 1945 | NA |
Ward Hunt Island Observatory Research Station[46] | Ward Hunt Island, Nunavut | Canada | 1957 | Active |
Western Arctic Research Centre[47] | Inuvik, Northwest Territories | Canada[48] | 1964 | Active |
Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik Research Complex[49] | Whapmagoostui, Quebec | Canada | 1971 | Active |
White Sea Biological Station[50] (WSBS MSU) | Chupa, Republic of Karelia | Soviet Union Russia |
1938 | Active |
Willem Barents Biological Station[51] | Meduza Bay, Krasnoyarsk Krai | Soviet Union Russia |
NA | NA |
Wrangel Island Cape Blossom Station[52] | Cape Blossom, Wrangel Island, Chukotka | Soviet Union Russia |
NA | NA |
Wrangel Island Ushakovskoye Station[53] | Ushakovskoye, Wrangel Island, Chukotka | Soviet Union Russia |
NA | NA |
Yenisei Ecological Station[54] | Mirnoye, Turukhansky District, Krasnoyarsk Krai | Soviet Union Russia |
NA | NA |
Villum Research Station[55] | Station Nord, North Greenland | Denmark | 1990 | Active |
Zackenberg Station | Wollaston Foreland, Greenland | Denmark | 1997 | Active |
Zeppelin | Zeppelinfjellet, Svalbard | Norway | 1990 | Active |
View of the Dr. Neil Trivett Global Atmosphere Watch Observatory, Alert, Nunavut, Canada
View of the Polish Polar Station, Hornsund.
View of the Arctic research station on Wiese Island.
View of the Igloolik Research Centre, Igloolik, Nunavut, Canada.