Polish Polar Station, Hornsund

The Polska Stacja Polarna, Hornsund is a Polish polar research station on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. It is located in Isbjørnhamna in Hornsund Fjord.

Station

The station is operated by the Geophysical Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences and is located in the southern part of the island of Spitsbergen ( the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago ) in Hornsund Fjord in the Bay polar bears ( Isbjørnhamna ). It is about 10 meters above sea level and surrounded by mountains inland. The two closest are the Fugleberget ( 569 meters) and Arie Kammen (517 meters). The research station is located in Sør- Spitsbergen National Park.

Poland operates at this location research activities as one of the nations that have signed the Svalbard Treaty with - an existing since 1920 international treaty, the Norway concede sovereignty over Svalbard, but the signatory States allows to be economically equal partner. The first major scientific expedition of the Polish Academy of Sciences for the Hornsund was in 1957, in the same time the station was built. From 1961 to 1977 she was used in the summer months of Polish scientists, but also by hunters. Since its modernization in 1978, it has continuously occupied throughout the year. In close proximity to the station, on the Wilczekodden Peninsula, Polish scientists have set up a ten-meter -high cross in 1982.

In the summer of 2013 lived and worked 10 scientists at the research station.

Flora and Fauna

The shallow coastal areas around the station are covered with rich tundra vegetation. The surrounding hillsides and cliffs are breeding grounds for many marine birds in the summer. The most common type is the little auk. Arctic foxes and reindeer are to the station to meet also. In addition, the Hornsund for polar bears is the most important passage corridor between the western part of Spitsbergen and the Storfjorden in the east.

Research

Since the establishment of the station, the research priorities have changed as required. Currently, research is carried out mainly in the field of atmospheric and earth sciences. So covers the research in the station, inter alia, the fields of meteorology, seismology, geomagnetism and glaciology. In addition to the Polish occupation there in the station and capacities, other scientists for their own activities to accommodate.