-
current
recommendations- Liefdefjord
New page dedicated to one of Spitsbergen's most beautiful fjords. Background information and many photos.
- New Spitsbergen guidebook
The new edition of my Spitsbergen guidebook is out and available now!
- Liefdefjord
New page dedicated to one of Spitsbergen's most beautiful fjords. Background information and many photos.
-
weather information
      |
 |
Page of the week: Gnålodden |  |
Home →
Yearly Archives: 2019 − News & Stories
February-impressions from Spitsbergen
Sat
2 Mar
2019
February can be a beautiful month in Spitsbergen. Especially if it is nice and cold and not as battered by climate change as last year, when warm air incursions brought several periods of thawing and rain. This year, we have had good frost for most of the time in February. Cold, clear weather and not too much wind. The sun is still largely behind the horizon and hidden by mountains, but the mountain tops started glowing a good week ago and we have had the first rays of sunshine on our frozen noses! You still have to do a little trip to enjoy that pleasure, the sun won’t reach Longyearbyen before 08 March.
Longyearbyen Camping is still a quiet place.
The average temperature in February was -11.1°C, “only” 5.1 degrees above the long-term average which is defined as the average from 1961-1990. Five degrees above a “normal” temperature that is impossible to reach now! That is still a lot. Nevertheless, a monthly average of -11.1°C involves a lot of fine frost. Even the fjord, Adventfjord, seems to consider freezing over again, just for a change. This has not happened in many years. It is unlikely to happen this year either, but there is at least some initial ice formation in protected in-shore corners.
Ice in Adventfjord and sun on Hiorthfjellet and Adventtoppen.
You still have to make sure you get out around mid-day to catch some direct sunrays. An afternoon trip does not bring anything but twilight. Which can of course also be beautiful, but if you want the see the sun, then this is not the real thing.
Out with ski and dogs: “rope skiing” (snørekjøring) in Adventdalen.
Hiorthfjellet, the characteristic mountain opposite of Longyearbyen, is a very popular place these days. Half-way up the slope, there is a hut with some large antennas, which is locally known as Telelinken. Perfectly placed on a slope facing south with a fantastic view over Adventfjord and a good place to catch some first sunrays!
First sun over Adventfjord.
The air temperature is minus 20 degrees centigrade, but we enjoy the first direct sunrays on those few square centimetres of exposed skin that we have had for some time …
Arctic sun worshipper.
… and the amazing light that the low sun brings back to this cold island.
Sunny views of some mountain tops in Nordenskiöld Land.
There is not yet much wildlife beyond those species that spend the winter here, arctic fox and reindeer. Recently, still in dark time, there was a common eider near the shore in Longyearbyen. That one has probably spent the winter in Adventfjord, something that is not common but not unheard of either. A kittywake has been seen some days ago.
Tracks of an arctic fox on Hiorthfjellet.
Grounded trawler Northguider: recovery planned in August
The shrimp trawler Northguider ran aground in Hinlopenstrait close to Sparreneset on Nordaustland, just south of Murchisonfjord. The whole crew could be saved by helicopter, as reported earlier. The crew has later described the whole experience, in total darkness, strong cold and stormy wind, as very dramatic.
Fishing trawler Northguider grounded in Hinlopenstretet, close to the coast of Nordaustland. Photo: Kystverket.
300 tons of diesel and other environmentally dangerous substances and goods could be salvaged in January, but the Northguider is still sitting on rocks. Experts from Sjøfartsdirektoratet, the Norwegian shipping authority, judge her position as stable. The advantage of that is that forces of nature such as wind, currents and ice are unlikely to push the ship into deeper waters. The disadvantage is that also human efforts to salvage the grounded ship will require considerable efforts and a major operation. It is estimated that the salvaging operation will take several weeks of work on the scene.
The Sysselmannen, as the authority who is generally responsible for the management of the area in question, and the Sjøfartsdirektorat and the Kystvakt (coast guard) have now decided that the salvation work will be carried out in August. At that time, the general conditions regarding weather, ice and light should be most favourable.
The coast guard vessel KV Svalbard is currently on her way to the accident site to assess the situation there again, double-checking that there are no environmentally harmful substances and items are on board anymore and that the position of the Northguider is stable. Further monitoring is planned by motion detectors and beacons sendung the position of the ship in case of any unexpected movements.
Arctic winter light in Tempelfjord
Thu
21 Feb
2019
Some visit a temple to find enlightenment.
We visit Tempelfjord and find the light.
View through Eskerdalen, Sassendalen in the distance
in the dawn of the early polar day in February.
The start of our little excursion was admittedly a bit bumpy. First we had to drag a car out of a deep snow hole that a supposed turning around area had turned out to be. It was not the first time that f§/%!”=g hole has fooled someone. We should put up a sign …
View over outer Tempelfjord towards Isfjord.
Also the snow mobiles don’t want to do what we want them to do, something these things quite often do. But finally we are off and on the road. It is a bit fresh today, well below -20°C around Longyearbyen and certainly not far from -30 in Sassendalen and Tempelfjord. A colleage who was on the east coast today said later that he estimated the air temperature on the glaciers around -40°C … as mentioned, it is fresh today.
View from Fjordnibba into Tempelfjord.
It is not just the air that is icy, so are the fjords as well. There is a continuous layer of ice stretching from Fredheim into Tempelfjord. Also Sassenfjord – the continuation of Tempelfjord towards Isfjord – shows clear signs of freezing. If this only continued! We will see what happens the next weeks.
Lukas enjoys the amazing views over Tempelfjord.
After enjoying the amazing views from the little mountain Fjordnibba, we make a little excursion to Fredheim, the famous hut built by the even more famous trapper Hilmar Nøis. He started building Fredheim in 1924 and turned it into a real home during the years to come. In 2015, Fredheim was moved a few metres higher up and away from the coast that was slowly appraching the historical huts due to coastal erosion.
Fredheim, the hut built by Hilmar Nøis, in its new location.
We enjoy the place, the great scenery, the cold, the ice, the light and last but not least some hot soup for a while before we start moving back home. The days are still short, but it is amazing how quickly the light is coming back.
Ice on the shore of Tempelfjord.
Sunshine and 20 degrees …
Mon
18 Feb
2019
… is not really what you expect in Spitsbergen in February.
But it is also not really a good description of what we currently have in Longyearbyen.
Theoretically, we should have had the first sunrise on Saturday (16 February). This does not mean that you can see the sun from Longyearbyen. You would have to climb one of the higher mountains such as Trollsteinen, something that is actually quite popular on that very day.
But it was cloudy, so a tour somewhere in the nearby valleys was a good thing.
Moonlight tour with dogs in Adventdalen.
Today (Monday) was the first really clear day. The grey snow clouds gave way to the clear sky during the morning. The blue light of the late polar night is now giving way to the pink-blue light of the early polar day, at least around noon.
So today we could see the sun again – at least indirectly. It won’t be before 08 March that you can see the sun directly in Longyearbyen again, something that will be celebrated duly. But the mountains are now getting beautiful crowns of pink-orange glowing light now for a while around mid-day.
First sunlight on Hiorthfellet.
The sun remained above the horizon for quite some time, casting her beautiful light over the mountain tops for the first time in months, while the moon is climbing over the peaks.
Yes, and we do have 20 degrees (centigrade) and even more. Below zero, of course!
The moon next to Adventtoppen.
Lunckefjellet: the end of an arctic coal mine
The Lunckefjellet coal mine is a political-economical phenomenon. The first ton of coal was “produced” in November 2013 – a symbolic act, the mine was not yet in productive operation. This was not the case either when Lunckefjellet was officially opened on 25 February 2014, but the mine was “ready to go”. Many thought production would start now big-time, as the mine had until then cost more than 1 billion Norwegian crowns (more than 100 million Euro) and it was there and ready to start production.
Scientists on the way to the Lunckefjellet coal mine.
But this was not to happen. The coal prices on the world markets dropped and the mines of Sveagruva, the Norwegian mining settlement in Van Mijenfjord, went into standby operation just to make sure they would not become inaccessible and mining could start one day – if this decisions was made.
Sveagruva: Norwegian coal mining settlement (Swedish foundation in 1917) in Van Mijenfjord.
In the fall of 2017, the Norwegian government put their foot down. Being the 100 % owner of the Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani (SNSK), the company that owns and runs all Norwegian coal mines in Spitsbergen, the government could directly decide about the fate of mining and miners in Sveagruva and Longyearbyen and related economies. The decision in 2017 was to put an end to all mining in Sveagruva. Both the coal mine Svea Nord, which had been profitable for a number of years, and the new mine in Lunckefjellet were to be phased out and physically cleaned up as far as possible. And the same was to happen for the settlement Sveagruva itself. Norwegian coal mining in Spitsbergen is only continued now in mine 7 near Longyearbyen (where the operation has since increase from one shift to two shifts).
Day facilities and mine entrance at Lunckefjellet.
The reasons were officially said to be entirely economical considerations. The government does not really give more information than necessary, relevant documents have been declared confidential. Many see the end of coal mining in Sveagruva, especially in the newly built Lunckefjellet mine, with a tear in their eyes, as tradition, jobs and an industry that is important for Longyearbyen are about to get lost.
The end of coal mining in Spitsbergen does not come as a total surprise, everybody knew it would come one not too far day. Other branches are developed, with science, education and tourism high up on the list. Nevertheless, Longyearbyen would not exist without coal mining and mining has been the main activity here for most of the history so far. Many people have an emotional connection to mining and quite a few still have a real one, directly or indirectly, and losing coal mining will hurt them economically.
The government was not interested in discussing offers from investors to continue mining in Lunckefjellet, which was never intended to last for more than maybe 7-8 years anyway. This does not add to the credibility of the official reasoning for closing of the Lunckefjellet mine being solely based on the difficult economy.
Tunnel of the coal mine in Lunckefjellet.
The coal mine in Lunckefjellet will be closed soon. The ventilation system is currently being dismantled, and once that is not operative anymore, only specialists with self-contained breathing apparatus could, theoretically, still enter the mine – for a short period, until the roof has become mechanically unstable. This will not take a lot of time. The Lunckefjellet mine will soon be as difficult to reach as the far side of the moon.
Device to monitor rock movements in the roof of the mine.
Bolts to secure the roof are exposed to permanent erosion and mechanical stress. If they are not regularly controlled and serviced a coal mine soon becomes a very dangerous place.
Last week (5-7 February 2019), geologists from the mining company Store Norske and UNIS took literally the last chance to take samples from the coal seam in Lunckefjellet. The coal geology in Spitsbergen is less well known than one might assume and than geologists would want it to by: nobody really knows what the landscape exactly looked like where the bogs grew that later formed the coal.
Geologist Malte Jochmann at work in Lunckefjellet.
Of course there were bogs, and saltwater from a nearby coast is likely to have been an important factor, at least at certain times. But which role did sweetwater play, lakes and rivers? Why are there sandstone and conglomerate (gravel-bearing sandstone) layers and channel fillings within and just on the edge of the coal seam? What did the sea level do at the nearby coast, what was the influence of tectonics? Were there hills or even mountains in the area, or was the surrounding relief more or less level?
Geologists Malte Jochmann, Maria Jensen and Christopher Marshall at work in the Lunckefjellet mine, inspecting outcrops and potential sampling sites.
A walk through the tunnels of the Lunckefjellet mine produces fascinating views into the geological history, raising questions and answering some of them. The geologists Malte Jochmann (SNSK/UNIS), Maria Jensen (UNIS) and Christopher Marshall (University of Nottingham) had just two days to document outcrops and to take samples which might answer some of these questions in further, detailed investigations involving advanced laboratory methods.
Even inside a mountain you are constantly reminded that you are in the Arctic: the temperature is constantly below zero, and ice crystals are growing on black coal surfaces.
Now the Lunckefjellet mine is about to be closed forever. A lot of equipment has already been removed, soon the mine can not be entered anymore. Also Sveagruva will be subject to a major clean-up, initial work has already begun. There won’t be much left in the end. Some artefacts which are considered having historical value will remain (everything older than 1946 is generally protected in Spitsbergen, the threshold will probably be moved up to 1949 in Sveagruva) and possibly a very few buildings for future use – research? Limited tourism? Nobody knows.
It will not be mining, that is for sure.
Sky of stars on the way back from Sveagruva to Longyearbyen.
Multiresistant bacteria in Kongsfjord
Bacterial resistance genes that have been found in soil samples in Kongsfjord have recently received considerable media attention. These genes are responsible for multidrug resistance among bacteria. Media and people are asking how such genes could make it into the seemingly untouched nature of the Arctic. Some media see reason for comparison of the recent findings with doomsday scenarios including wars and climate change.
Without any question, the uncontrolled use of antibiotics in many countries and the increasing occurrence of multiresistent bacteria are a very serious problem.
Genes that make bacteria resistent against antibiotics have been found in soil samples taken near Ny-Ålesund in Kongsfjord.
The news about the findings have surprised many, but for scientists, they are not as unexpected as many may believe. This is at least the case with samples that were taken near settlements. The samples in question were taken near Ny-Ålesund in Kongsfjord.
The nature of Spitsbergen is not as untouched as it is often described as, at least not in places like Kongsjord. The settlement of Ny-Ålesund was founded 1916 as a coal mining place as all of today’s settlements in Spitsbergen. Ny-Ålesund became famous in the 1920s when several north pole exepditions were launched there. After mining was abandoned in 1963, Ny-Ålesund developed into an international research village. Today, scientists from many countries come here every years to do fieldwork on all kinds of polar research. Many ships visit the harbour of Ny-Ålesund, including research and supply vessels and cruise ships (smaller ones, crude oil is not allowed in these waters anymore). Kongsfjord is under influence of the Gulf Stream.
According to the original publication Understanding drivers of antibiotic resistance genes in High Arctic soil ecosystems (McCann, C.M., Environment International), all 8 samples were taken close to Ny-Ålesund. The resistence gene NDM-1 (New Dehli Metallo-β-laktamase) was for the first time isolated in 2008 from medical samples from a patient who had previously been treated in a hospital in India. Bacteria harbouring this enzyme are resistent against several groups of antibiotics including one group which is considered last-resort antibiotics.
Klebsiella-pneumoniae (bowel colonising).
NDM-1 was found in this species in 2008.
Further investigations showed that bacteria with this resistence gene are widespread especially on the Indian sub-continent, but they have also been found in countries such as Japan, China, Australia and Canada as well as European countries including the UK, Belgium, France, Austria, Germany, Norway and Sweden. Humans can be colonised by such bacteria in their body, usually in the intestines, without necessarily being sick.
Hence, it is not hard to imagine that bacteria are spread over large distances and into remote parts of the Earth, wherever people settle and travel in numbers. Transportation mechanisms are manifold. Bacteria that travel in human intestines can easily enter the environment via sewage water systems. Animals are bacterial carriers, something that is well-described in connection with migrating birds. These acquire bacteria for example in the wintering areas and transport them to the breeding areas. Kongsfjord is an important breeding area for several migrating bird species such as geese that winter in northern central Europe.
The authors of the original publication (see above) conclude rightly that the findings of the resistence gene NDM-1 in Kongsfjord does not pose any threat on the health for people in the area. But it shows that resistent bacteria that may have originated in connection with uncontrolled use of antibiotics in any one of many countries in the world may spread quickly around the globe. This in itself is not much of a surprise. No matter how sad the distribution of resistence genes into remote (but not untouched) corners of the globe as Spitsbergen is and how dramatic the consequences of infections with such pathogens can be for patients – evidence for the existence of such genes in soil samples taken close to a settlement in the Arctic does not increase any of these problems, but shows that they do not respect boundaries or distances. The dramatic headlines of many recent media supports and comparison to apocalyptic scenarions such as wars do not do the complexity of the problem any justice.
It would be interesting to make a study with samples from areas that are indeed mostly untouched by humans, such as remote and rarely visited parts of Nordaustland.
Text: Dr. Kristina Hochauf-Stange (med. microbiologist)
Climate Report Spitsbergen 2100: Concern and Many Questions
The information that global warming will hardly affect and change any region of the world as strongly as the Arctic is anything but new. Nevertheless, the audience became silent when the climate report “Climate in Svalbard 2100” was presented last Monday at a well-attended citizens’ meeting at the University of Longyearbyen.
The result of the report: An average temperature increase by seven to ten degrees by the year 2100, significantly more and more intensive rainfall, melting glaciers, thawing permafrost soils, the retreat of sea ice and a shorter winter could probably radically change the everyday life of humans and nature on Svalbard within only two generations. Avalanches and mudslides would increase, the water in the rivers would rise and the height of the glaciers would fall by more than two metres per year.
What sounds like the gloomy horror scenario of a bad thriller is actually a report brought up by the Norwegian Climate Service Centre for the Ministry of the Environment, backed by well-respected institutions from the fields of meteorology, energy and polar research. In this report, the researchers formulate forecasts in case that the goals of the Paris Climate Conference of 2015 are not going to be achieved.
The average temperature on Spitsbergen has already risen by two degrees compared to pre-industrial times, and this is in fact noticeable. Reports of temperature records have been accumulating in recent years. The winter of 2012, for example, is likely to be remembered by most inhabitants, when rain, floods and glaze ice in January reminded more of an average autumn day in northern Germany rather than a polar winter in the northernmost city in the world, around 1000 kilometres from the North Pole. Last year, too, there were plus degrees and rain in Longyearbyen in January, and since 2010 there has been no winter with temperatures below the usual averages.
The paradox is that Svalbard itself makes a considerable contribution to this development. The settlements are supplied with energy by coal power, the energy source that blows the most CO2 into the atmosphere. Besides coal mining, tourism is the most important employer on Spitsbergen. But tourists who travel to Spitsbergen primarily use the two most greenhouse gas-intensive means of transport, air travel and cruise ships. And also the locals use mostly airplanes and snowmobiles or cars powered by combustion engines.
At the meeting, possible actions that Svalbard could take to help achieve Norway’s climate goals and limit global warming were discussed rather half-heartedly. Reduce the number of flights to and from Spitsbergen? Switch to renewable energy production? Neither the head of administration Hege Walør, nor Sysselmannen Kjerstin Askholt had answers to these questions.
However Community Council Arild Olsen came up with the radical idea to make Longyearbyen Norway’s first zero-emission community.
Whether this is realistic remains to be seen. Hardly anyone denies, however, that adaptation to climate change is urgently needed, will cost a lot of money and could possibly lead to changes in legislation.
In December 2015, temperatures of up to nine degrees plus again caused thaw and flooding. This river in Bolterdalen is normally dry and frozen in winter.
Sources: Svalbardposten, Climate Report: “Climate in Svalbard 2100”
A day in Spitsbergen: polar dogs and polar jazz
Sun
3 Feb
2019
The experiences to be made here in Spitsbergen in one day can be very rich in contrast: a little ski tour in Adventdalen with company on four legs brings exercise, fresh air and impressions of light and landscape – pure pleasure. For all involved, with two and for legs.
With ski and dogs Adventdalen.
A few hours later you may find yourself in an old hall which belongs to mine 3. No coal is mined in mine 3 anymore, after years of silence it is now regularly used as a mining museum and occasionally for events. Today, there is one of the last concerts of this year’s Polarjazz festival going on here. An experimental Spitsbergen-Jazz-opera – does that make sense? 🙂 The title is “Spor” (tracks) and it combines stories, impressions and emotions from the history and nature, hunting and mining in Spitsbergen. All of that is put into music and sounds by a trio, in major parts with the additional voal powers of the Store Norske Mannskor, resulting in sounds that vary from spheric/experimental through jazzy to groovy.
Polarjazz 2019: ‘Spor’ in Mine 3.
The atmosphere of the event was certainly even increased by the location.
Ban on motorised traffic on fjord ice under discussion
The solid ice in Spitsbergen’s fjord is an important habitat for wildlife as well as a popular destination for both locals and tourists – if it is solid enough. This has not always been the case anymore in recent years. Climate change is happening.
This is where Ringed seals give birth to their pups and Polar bears go hunting.
In earlier times, humans went hunting on fjord ice, today they enjoy the stunning scenery and the wildlife that may be present. In the past – many, many years ago – there was a handful of trappers, explorers and a few locals who went out for a trip on the ice in the remote, lonesome fjords. Because of some duty or to enjoy a beautiful day in the arctic.
Fjord ice: important habitat for seals and Polar bears.
Today, some of the fjords are not so remote and lonesome anymore. Tourists have discovered the Arctic as a fascinating destination decades ago, and snow mobiles make it much easier to cover greater distances. The fjord ice in Tempelfjord and on the east coast of Spitsbergen has been a very popular area to visit for both locals and tourists, mostly coming with organised groups, for many years.
This might change radically in the future. Already in 2018 the fjord ice in Tempelfjord, Billefjord and Rindersbukta (near Sveagruva) was closed in April until the end of season on a rather short notice for motorised traffic. The same measure is now discussed well in advanced. Nobody knows currently if the fjord ice will be solid enough in a few weeks from now when the season really starts.
In contrast to last year’s traffic ban, which was imposed on a relatively short notice, a public hearing is now initiated by the Sysselmannen. The idea is to give those who are concerned a chance to have their word and to make sure everybody is aware of the development. The latter may actually be the more important factor: the Sysselmannen has already made it clear that traffic bans can be imposed, if required for any reason, at any time without any changes of the legal framework.
Popular destination for both locals and tourists: Fjord ice.
A lively debate about this measure is now to be expected. Such a measure would indeed be experienced as drastic by those who have been active in tourism and by many locals. On the other hand, there have been occasions where wildlife was disturbed by motorised traffic, and arctic tourism is a natural target for international environmentalists.
Some require more far-reaching rights for locals than for tourists, a principle that is already used in existing regulations for snow mobile traffic out in the field in Spitsbergen. If this will apply in any future changes of legislation is currently unclear.
Under discussion are the seasonal fjord ice areas in Tempelfjord, Billefjord, Rindersbukta and on the east coast between Mohnbukta and Negribreen. Crossings of the fjord ice in these areas may, at least partly, still be permitted on the shortest possible way in order to enable groups to follow frequently used routes. This concerns mainly the traditional route between Longyearbyen and Pyramiden. But driving elsewhere on the fjord ice would not be possible anymore.
There is, so far, only mention of a ban on motorised traffic (snow mobiles). Skiing and dog sledging are not concerned.
Polarjazz Festival 2019 opened with “Vorspiel”
Some may still think of Longyearbyen as a small, remote and dusty mining settlement at the cold end of the world, but the times when this was actually the case have been history now for decades. Today, Longyearbyen is very much an alive and culturally active place with an international population and atmosphere.
The Store Norske Mannskor, here seen at the “Vorspiel” of the Polarjazz Festival 2019, is one of Longyearbyen’s most popular musical acts.
The local culture scene is home to an impressive number of choirs and other music groups. This is the fertile ground where several music festivals were born, some of which have made it into the calendars of international fans. Next to the Dark Season Blues Festival, which happens in early October, there is the Polarjazz Festival going on under the motto “Cool Place Hot Music”. The opener is the so-called “Vorspiel”, which happened Wednesday (30.01.) evening in the Kulturhuset (culture hall) in Longyearbyen. An impressive number of local acts took the scene, from young, fresh talents through the popular Store Norske Mannskor to well-established artists like the local singing bird Liv Mari Schei who has a record catalogue of several CDs.
Liv Mari Schei: well-known singing bird in and from Longyearbyen.
Advance ticket sales were behind execptations, but at least at the “Vorspiel” there were about as many in the audience as would have found space. People were sitting on stairs or wherever there was space.
Well-established artists from Norway will take Longyearbyen’s various scenes during the next days.
Northern lights, northern lights, northern lights …
Sat
26 Jan
2019
My dear friends, let me tell you, it is tough. For weeks we have been trying to get some sleep at normal times. But it just doesn’t work. This northern light is really too bad. Really, it can be annoying! You always have to go out, watch Lady Aurora dancing, take photos … yes, life in the Arctic can be hard … 🙂
Northern light aureola, near-vertically above the photographer’s position.
It was almost warm today, just about -6°C in Adventdalen. In comparison to the last days, it felt really mild. Only the wind was a bit chilly.
Ring of northern lights over Endalen.
I can’t promise that there won’t be any more aurora borealis pics in this blog during the next weeks. This is how the polar night is. On the other hand, Lady Aurora can be very moody. Sometimes she is just sleeping somewhere far away or she is just dancing for the clouds. When she is in good mood then you just have have to take the opportunity. You never know when the next one comes – maybe this is her farewell for the moment and she decides to move on to another planet or wherever.
The famous polar bear warning sign.
Blue lights and northern lights
Fri
25 Jan
2019
The days are just flying, or rather this endless night. It will still take a while until you can talk of “days” again in Spitsbergen. But the light is coming back! There is clearly some faint dawn on the southern horizon around noon. The sun is not far anymore.
First dawning in late January, mid-day in Longyearbyen.
Still, the polar night is obviously a good time to do things inside. And there is no lack of good opportunities. Next to all the work that never takes an end, there is, just to give one example, the already mentioned Svalbarseminar. And for Per Kyrre Reymert, the “cultural heritage oracle”, the same is true as for Maarten Loonen (see previous blog): you are guaranteed to get a solid portion of interesting arctic knowledge, and it is fun to listen to! A very entertaining hour where you can only try to memorise as much as you possibly can. Today, it was about the French Recherche-expedition (1838, 1839). Yes, that was the one with Leonie D’Aunet, the first woman who visited Spitsbergen. As far as we know, that is.
Per Kyrre Reymert speaking in the Svalbardseminar at UNIS about the Recherche-expedition (in Spitsbergen 1838 and 1839).
And it is certainly good to know what the guys from the Sysselmannen (government representative, police and other sovereign duties) are keeping themselves busy with. Flying drones, for example. Of course they are only doing sensible things with these drones! Who would thing of anything different … Police investigations, search and rescue operations, documenting erosion and wear and tear on cultural heritage sites … the list is long.
The “drone-squadron” of the Sysselmannen presenting their work in the Svalbardseminar at UNIS.
It is and remains stunningly beautiful outside. The light of the moon is now less bright than last week, but the returning sun – still well below the horizon – brings several hours of blue light into the darkness during daytime.
The blue light hours are coming back to Spitsbergen during daytime.
A little trip into Adventdalen, far enough to escape the “big city” light pollution. The silence and the blue light are amazing! And the view into Adventdalen wettens the appetite for more. That is the way to Sassendalen, to Tempelfjord, to the east coast, … soon will the days be longer and the same goes for the trips out into nature!
View into Adventdalen during the blue light hour(s).
Soon, however, the blue light gives way to darkness again, the “days” are still short. But the night does always have something to offer. In recent days, northern light activity was a bit limited. Not that there weren’t any at all, but limited, and sometimes you do also have to sleep, so it is inevitable to miss out sometimes. It is all about being in the right time at the right place, and that little bit of luck!
Northern light over Adventdalen (I).
The lights of mine 7 and some huts in the lower right corner.
Today, we were – once again – at the right time in the right place. We just had that bit of luck. Kind of on the way to go shopping. Never leave the house without the camera 🙂
Northern light over Adventdalen (II).
Lunar eclipse over Spitsbergen
Mon
21 Jan
2019
Today (21 January 2019) was the day (well, it is not really a day, the sun does not rise at all here currently) of a major astronomical event, the next one after the solar eclipse in 2015. The lunar eclipse that was visible in Spitsbergen from approximately 6 a.m. was certainly worth setting the alarm clock for.
Today’s lunar eclipse: the “blood moon” over Longyearbyen.
After a short observation of the initial lunar eclipse over Longyearbyen, we went out into Adventdalen to get further away from the big city lights and to get a natural background for the impressive celestial event.
Lunar eclipse over Adventdalen: the “blood mmoon” over Spitsbergen (I).
The duration of the lunar eclipse was much more agreeable than that of the above-mentioned solar eclipse, the total phase of which did not last longer than 2 minutes and a few seconds. This could make the astro-photographers sweat despite of the temperatures around minus 20 degrees (C) back then.
Mondfinsternis im Adventdalen: der “Blutmond” über Spitzbergen (II).
Not that it was any warmer today, but we could take it with time: the total phase of today’s lunar eclipse was nearly an hour long, so next to taking photos, we could just enjoy the event and a sip of hot chocolate – a very good thing considering the temperature. The stars were amazing, they came out bright and strong due to the reduced moonlight. Very impressive!
Stars during the lunar eclipse in Adventdalen.
Finally, my current ceterum censeo: I have made a new photo book, focussing on aerial photography and thus showing the Arctic from a very unsual perspective. In theory, the book is in German, but in practice, it does hardly have text. 134 out of 137 pages do just have stunning photos, placenames and a little map. Norwegens arktischer Norden (2) – Aerial Arctic shows Jan Mayen and Svalbard from the air.
Rolf’s new photo book Norwegens arktischer Norden (2) – Aerial Arctic shows Jan Mayen and Spitsbergen from a new and stunning perspective.
Vinkelstasjon, neighbour reindeer and Science Slam
Sun
20 Jan
2019
Time is flying, there is always something to do. Mostly stuff that isn’t worth mentioning, but it is really filling the days. Everyday life. Projects. Work.
Yes, and life. Friends. Being outside.
Being outside is obviously one main reason for living in Longyearbyen. It will soon be full moon and the sky is mostly clear. The light is pure magic. The Norwegians have a beautiful word for that: “trolsk”. Maybe you can use “trollish” to translate it? It is “magical”, but that does not really hit the nail on the head. With “trolsk”, we don’t associate Harry Potter but rather some kind of fairytale magic with a slight undertone of danger and gloominess. Just like the arctic: of breathtaking beauty, but with a touch of danger lurking somewhere hidden, often not being visible. Trolsk.
Most tours do currently not go anywhere remote. That is not the point now. You will find the whole beauty of the polar night in Longyearbyen’s vicinity. It is of course always an idea to go somewhere without artificial light.
Adventdalen in the polar night.
There is, of course, a lot of artificial light in and near Longyearbyen. Whenever there is a northern light you have to go to a suitable place for undisturbed observation and photography. A bit of artificial light does, of course, not hurt, often it has a charme of its own. Like the Vinkelstasjon in Endalen, which used to be a part of the old coal cableway. Today, it is illuminated during the polar night, providing a lovely eyecatcher in the dark landscape.
The Vinkelstasjon in Endalen used to be a part of the coal cableway in the past.
Today, it is part of the local history and, in the dark time, a light installation.
It is part of the practical aspects of moving around in the dark that high-vis jackets and reflectors are strongly advised. Otherwise, the risk of being hit by a car is significant and one day it will crash.
The reindeer don’t know that. They tend to stand just next to the road. And the don’t look left or right before they start crossing it.
When you leave the house in the morning and there is a reindeer next to the entrance in the dark, then it can give you a bit of a sudden weak-up. As soon as you realise that the big furry animal just in front of you is actually a reindeer, it is a bit of a relief which feels quite good.
Reindeer in Longyearbyen.
There is a lot going on in Longyearbyen in terms of culture, education and science. In January, there is the Svalbardseminar. Experts of various fields offer presentations to tell the public about their field of knowledge. These presentations are usually in Norwegian, hence not an attraction for international visitors, but if you understand Norwegian, then they are usually very interesting.
This week, there was a “Science Slam” scheduled. Several scientists talked about their work and research results in short lectures which were supposed to be as entertaining as educative. Everything was allowed as long as it is not generally forbidden and nobody is harmed. This worked altogether quite well.
SIOS Svalbard introducing themselves in the Svalbardseminar at UNIS.
In the photo above, SIOS Svalbard (“Svalbard integrated arctic earth observing system”) staff are introducing their organisation, the design and purpose of which is hard to grasp in just a few words. SIOS is kind of a meta-scientific organisation, trying to ensure that efficient collecting and exchange of all sorts of data is working smoothly in practice, beyond borders of different nationalities, projects and fields of science.
And then, there is of course Maarten Loonen, the Dutch specialist for bird migration, arctic geese and tundra. We meet him quite regularly in Ny-Ålesund in the summer, where he has been part of the regular outfit as long as even the oldest ones can remember. In a way that you just can’t imitate, Maarten manages to squeeze a lot of knowledge into a few minutes that is hard to remember – unfortunately, because it is fascinating stuff. Just an example: geese have a completely different digestion system than reindeer. Whatever a geese puts into herself at the front end will leave her again at the rear end after 1-2 hours. Reindeer need much more time for the same process, but they make use of a much higher proportion of the energy and nutrients stored in the plant material that they take up. Which means that what leaves a goose’s butt (my wording, not Maarten’s) is still perfectly good food for a reindeer. But not always, that depends again on what the goose has eaten. And you can actually see it on the colour of the droppings. And so on and so forth. I just can’t recall all of it, unfortunately. If you ever have a chance to listen to Maarten Loonen: go for it!
Maarten Loonen talking about arctic migrating birds, mainly geese and their importance for the arctic tundra, in the Svalbardseminar at UNIS.
Finally, my current ceterum censeo: I have made a new photo book, focussing on aerial photography and thus showing the Arctic from a very unsual perspective. In theory, the book is in German, but in practice, it does hardly have text. 134 out of 137 pages do just have stunning photos, placenames and a little map. Norwegens arktischer Norden (2) – Aerial Arctic shows Jan Mayen and Svalbard from the air.
Rolf’s new photo book Norwegens arktischer Norden (2) – Aerial Arctic shows Jan Mayen and Spitsbergen from a new and stunning perspective.
The arctic blog continued: back to Longyearbyen!
Sat
19 Jan
2019
After a winter- and christmas period in our southern home, we return to our northern home: back to Longyearbyen! We spend a few days in Norway on the way up, visiting good friends, before we board the plane in Oslo.
The flight leaves from Oslo Gardermoen in the morning and arrives in Longyearbyen mid-day. We fly away from the sunlight and into the darkness. While climbing up the ladder to the plane, we enjoy a few last moments of sunlight. They will be the last ones for several week.
Gallery flight to Longyearbyen
- gallery anchor link: #gallery_1455
Click on thumbnail to open an enlarged version of the specific photo.
The magic of the polar night is waiting for us!
The moon is waxing – that is not a secret, that is the same everywhere on Earth at the same time. But here, it is more important than elsewhere. Not only because far above the polar circle the moon is hardly seen during the summer, because then it remains largely below the horizon unless it is new moon, when you don’t see it anyway. But now, in winter, the moon is stunning. And it is a very important light source, much more than in latitudes where the sun is more reliable in wintertime.
Adventdalen in the polar night (I): the moon is shining over Operafjellet.
The appearance of the country is magical. The moon is casting silver-blue light over the landscape which is covered with a thin layer of snow and ice. On photos, the moon appears very bright so you might even think it is the sun.
Photographing this kind of beauty is a challenge. Most photographs are are far too bright. Of course you can expose your photo until they look as if taken on a sunny day. The results will be beautiful but they don’t have much to do with reality. Reality IS hauntingly beautiful, and it is, well … reality! It doesn’t get much better than that, but it is hard to capture in an image. The beauty that the eye which is accustomed to darkness perceives may just appear as darkness on a reasonably realistic image. And that can also be realistic, but maybe not quite the reality, if that makes sense.
Adventdalen in the polar night (II): a bit darker, a bit more realistic
(? depending on how well your eyes are accustomed to darkness when you are out in the field).
I am trying to find a compromise which is close to reality and delivers the real beauty of the polar night at the same time.
Last but not least for this first entry of my arctic blog 2019 an impression from Longyearbyen in the polar night. A perspective that, I am sure, many of you will know, but possibly in very different light conditions.
High noon in Longyearbyen in polar night. The sundial does currently have some technical problems 😉
Finally, let me mention that I have made a new photo book, focussing on aerial photography and thus showing the Arctic from a very unsual perspective. In theory, the book is in German, but in practice, it does hardly have text. 134 out of 137 pages do just have stunning photos, placenames and a little map.
Norwegens arktischer Norden (2) – Aerial Arctic shows Jan Mayen and Svalbard from the air.
Rolf’s new photo book Norwegens arktischer Norden (2) – Aerial Arctic shows Jan Mayen and Spitsbergen from a new and stunning perspective.
News-Listing live generated at 2024/September/19 at 11:56:18 Uhr (GMT+1)
-
Books, Calendar, Postcards and more
-
