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 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 established | Summer population | Winter population |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abisko Scientific Research Station | Abisko, Sápmi | ![]() |
1903 | 12 | 12 |
Adam Mickiewicz University Polar Station | Petuniabukta, Svalbard, Norway | ![]() |
2011 | ||
Alomar Observatory[2] | Andøya Space, Andøya, Svalbard | ![]() |
1994 | ||
Arctic Yellow River Station | Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway | ![]() |
2003 | 25 | |
AWIPEV Arctic Research Station (Jean Corbel Station) | Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway | ![]() ![]() |
2003 | 40 | |
Barrow Observatory[3] | Point Barrow, Alaska | ![]() |
1973 | 2 | 2 |
Canadian High Arctic Research Station[4] (CHARS) campus | Cambridge Bay, Nunavut | ![]() |
2019 | 26 | 26 |
E. K. Fyodorov Hydrometeorological Observatory (ex Chelyuskin Polar Station)[5] | Cape Chelyuskin, Krasnoyarsk Krai | ![]() ![]() |
1932 | ||
Chetyrokhstolbovoy Polar Station[6] | Medvezhyi Islands, Sakha | ![]() ![]() |
1933 | ||
Churchill Northern Studies Centre[7] (CNSC) | Churchill, Manitoba | ![]() |
1976 | 88 | |
Czech Arctic Research Station[8] | Longyearbyen and Petuniabukta, Svalbard, Norway | ![]() |
2014 | 4 | 2 |
Daneborg | Wollaston Foreland, Greenland | ![]() |
1944 | 12 | |
Danmarkshavn | Dove Bay, Greenland | ![]() |
1906 | 6 | |
Dirigibile Italia Arctic Station | Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway | ![]() |
1997 | 7 | |
Dr. Neil Trivett Global Atmosphere Watch Observatory | Alert, Nunavut | ![]() |
1986 | ||
Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station | Devon Island, Nunavut | ![]() |
2001 | 9 | 9 |
Himadri[9] | Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway | ![]() |
2008 | 8 | |
Igloolik Research Centre[10] | Igloolik, Nunavut | ![]() |
1975 | 22 | 10 |
IndARC[11] | Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, Norway | ![]() |
2014 | ||
International Biological Station Lena-Nordenskiöld[12] | Tiksi, Sakha | ![]() |
1995 | ||
Iqaluit Research Centre[13][14] | Iqaluit, Nunavut | ![]() |
1978 | 20 | 10 |
Kevo Research Station[15] | Kevo | ![]() |
1958 | 12 | 7 |
Kilpisjärvi Biological Station[16][17] | Kilpisjärvi | ![]() |
1964 | ||
Kiruna Atmospheric and Geophysical Observatory[18] [19] | Kiruna | ![]() |
1957 | ||
Kluane Lake Research Station[20] | Kluane Lake, Yukon | ![]() |
1961 | 35 | |
Koldewey Station | Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway | ![]() |
1991 | ||
Labytnangi Ecological Research Station[21] | Labytnangi, Yamalo-Nenets | ![]() ![]() |
1954 | 25 | |
McGill Arctic Research Station[22] | Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut | ![]() |
1960 | 12 | 0 |
Mestersvig | Scoresby Land, Greenland | ![]() |
1956 | 40 | 2 |
Mývatn Research Station | Mývatn | ![]() |
1975 | ||
Netherlands Arctic Station, Univ Groningen[23] | Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway | ![]() |
1995 | ||
Nicolaus Copernicus University Polar Station | Kaffiøyra, Svalbard, Norway | ![]() |
1975 | 2 | 0 |
Station Nord | Princess Ingeborg Peninsula, Greenland | ![]() |
1952 | 25 | 5 |
Northeast Science Station[24] | Chersky, Sakha | ![]() ![]() |
1977 | 65 | 5 |
Ny-Ålesund[25] | Spitsbergen, Svalbard | ![]() |
1967 | 117 | 35 |
Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory[26][27] (PEARL) | Eureka, Nunavut | ![]() |
1993 | ||
Polish Polar Station | Hornsund, Svalbard, Norway | ![]() |
1957 | 10 | |
Prima Polar Station[28] | Cape Baranov, Bolshevik Island, Severnaya Zemlya | ![]() ![]() |
1986 | ||
Samoylov Station[29] | Lena Delta Wildlife Reserve, Sakha | ![]() |
1998 | 16 | 8 |
Sermilik Station | Ammassalik Island, Greenland | ![]() |
1970 | 10 | 0 |
Sodankylä Arctic Research Centre[30] | Sodankylä | ![]() |
1949 | 30 | 20 |
Stanisław Baranowski Spitsbergen Polar Station | Werenskioldbreen, Svalbard, Norway | ![]() |
1971 | ||
Summit Station | Near summit of the Greenland ice sheet, Greenland | ![]() |
1989 | 50 | 5 |
Thule Research Station[31] | Pituffik, Greenland | ![]() |
1995 | 10 | |
Toolik Field Station[32] | Toolik Lake, Alaska | ![]() |
1975 | 175 | |
Troynoy Island Polar Station[33] | Izvestiy TSIK Islands, Krasnoyarsk Krai | ![]() ![]() |
1953 | 5 | 0 |
Tundra Ecosystem Research Station[34][35] (TERS) | Daring Lake, Northwest Territories | ![]() |
1994 | 30 | 0 |
University of Copenhagen Arctic Station | Qeqertarsuaq, Greenland | ![]() |
1906 | 39 | |
Ward Hunt Island Observatory Research Station[36] | Ward Hunt Island, Nunavut | ![]() |
1957 | 9 | 0 |
Western Arctic Research Centre[37] | Inuvik, Northwest Territories | ![]() |
1964 | 34 | |
Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik Research Complex[39] | Whapmagoostui, Quebec | ![]() |
1971 | 28 | |
White Sea Biological Station[40] (WSBS MSU) | Chupa, Republic of Karelia | ![]() ![]() |
1938 | 180 | 50 |
Villum Research Station[41] | Station Nord, North Greenland | ![]() |
1990 | 14 | |
Vize Island Arctic Research Station | Vize Island, Krasnoyarsk Krai | ![]() ![]() |
1945 | 0 | |
Zackenberg Station | Wollaston Foreland, Greenland | ![]() |
1997 | 25 | 0 |
Zeppelin | Zeppelinfjellet, Svalbard | ![]() |
1990 |
Station name | Location | Operating country | Year established | Year deactivated | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Begichev Polar Station | Maly Begichev Island, Krasnoyarsk Krai | ![]() ![]() |
Abandoned | ||
Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Polar Station[42] | Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island. Sakha | ![]() ![]() |
Abandoned | ||
Brønlundhus | Peary Land, Greenland | ![]() |
1947 | Transformed into a museum | |
Buor-Khaya Polar Station[43] | Buor-Khaya Gulf, Sakha | ![]() ![]() |
Abandoned | ||
Centrumsø Research Station | Centrum Lake, Greenland | ![]() |
1954 | Abandoned | |
Dye 3 | Four different locations in southern Greenland | ![]() |
1971 | 1991 | |
Ernst Krenkel Observatory | Heiss Island, Arkhangelsk Oblast | ![]() |
1956 | 1980 | |
Golomyanniy Island Polar Station[44][45] | Sredniy Island, off Severnaya Zemlya | ![]() ![]() |
1954 | ||
Heiberg Polar Station[46] | Heiberg Islands, Krasnoyarsk Krai | ![]() ![]() |
1940 | 1995 | |
Isachsen Station | Ellef Ringnes Island, Nunavut | ![]() |
1948 | 1978 | |
Izluchin Polar Station | Komsomolets Island, Severnaya Zemlya, Krasnoyarsk Krai | ![]() ![]() |
Abandoned | ||
Kap Harald Moltke | Peary Land, Greenland | ![]() |
1972 | ||
Kigilyakh Research Station[47] | Kigilyakh Peninsula, Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island, New Siberian Islands | ![]() ![]() |
|||
Kolyuchin Polar Station | Kolyuchin Island, Chukotka | ![]() ![]() |
1990s | Abandoned | |
Lavrentiya Research Station | Lavrentiya, Chukotka | ![]() ![]() |
|||
NEEM Camp | Northern Greenland ice sheet, Greenland | ![]() |
2008 | 2015 | |
North Ice | Northern Greenland ice sheet, Greenland | ![]() |
1952 | 1954 | |
Peschanny Polar Station | Cape Unslicht, Bolshevik Island, Severnaya Zemlya | ![]() ![]() |
Abandoned | ||
Popov Polar Station[48] | Bely Island, Yamalo-Nenets | ![]() ![]() |
1933 | 2001 | |
Preobrazheniya Polar Station | Preobrazheniya Island, Sakha | ![]() ![]() |
Abandoned | ||
Provideniya Research Station | Provideniya, Chukotka | ![]() ![]() |
|||
Resolute Nunavut Station[49] | Resolute, Nunavut | ![]() |
1947 | ||
Russky Island Arctic Station[50] | Russky Island, Nordenskiöld Archipelago, Krasnoyarsk Krai | ![]() ![]() |
1935 | 1999 | |
Samuila Polar Station | Samuila Island, Komsomolskaya Pravda Islands, Krasnoyarsk Krai | ![]() ![]() |
Abandoned | ||
Solnechny Polar Station[51] | Solnechny Bay, Bolshevik Island, Severnaya Zemlya | ![]() ![]() |
1952 | Abandoned | |
Stolbovoy Meteorological Station[52] | Stolbovoy Island, Sakha | ![]() ![]() |
Abandoned | ||
Tuktoyaktuk Station[53] | Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories | ![]() |
1997 | ||
Tyrtov Island Polar Station | Tyrtov Island, Nordenskiöld Archipelago, Krasnoyarsk Krai | ![]() ![]() |
1940 | 1975 | |
Uedineniya Polar Station | Uyedineniya Island, Krasnoyarsk Krai | ![]() ![]() |
1996 | ||
Ushakov Island Polar Station | Ushakov Island, Krasnoyarsk Krai | ![]() ![]() |
1954 | 1980s | |
Vavilov Meteorological Station[54] | October Revolution Island, Severnaya Zemlya | ![]() ![]() |
1974 | 1988 | |
Willem Barents Biological Station[55] | Meduza Bay, Krasnoyarsk Krai | ![]() ![]() |
|||
Wrangel Island Cape Blossom Station[56] | Cape Blossom, Wrangel Island, Chukotka | ![]() ![]() |
|||
Wrangel Island Ushakovskoye Station[57] | Ushakovskoye, Wrangel Island, Chukotka | ![]() ![]() |
|||
Yenisei Ecological Station[58] | Mirnoye, Turukhansky District, Krasnoyarsk Krai | ![]() ![]() |
Main article: Drifting ice station |