The warming of the Arctic climate is well documented. The year 2020 was the year with the warmest summer in the history of instrumental observations in Svalbard, having the mean JJA temperature +7.2°C, which was 3°C above the climatological normal at the Svalbard Airport met station. While in Hornsund the same summer months mean was 4.8°C (only 1.2°C higher than the local normal). The hottest max air temperature ever was noted on July 25, 2020: +21,7°C and +16,5°C at the Svalbard Airport and the Polish Polar Station, Hornsund respectively. Moreover, the sea ice area on the Arctic Ocean reached the second minimal extent in the history of the satellite measurements since 1979 (3.74 mln km2 on September 15, 2020). While the summer of 2021 was colder and the minimal Arctic sea ice extent significantly larger, acceleration of the climate warming trend is proved despite interannual variations.
Figure 1. Atmosphere-land-sea complex system in the Arctic (Svalbard). Photo credit: Irek Sobota, Graphics Design: Ela Łepkowska
Such acceleration causes significant changes in the cryosphere of Svalbard (faster melting of glaciers, thawing of the permafrost) and stimulates faster energy exchange between atmosphere, cryosphere and ocean and mass transfer from land to the sea. The mentioned above example of disparities in meteorological parameters demonstrate regional/local differences in climate warming and subsequently response of other environmental factors. Thus, monitoring of such parameters and the environmental response has to be done in many localities in Svalbard. The distribution of long-term observational stations and sites of Polish and Norwegian institutions along entire western Svalbard are giving a chance for better quantification of observed changes and their deeper understanding.
As a consequence of the Arctic amplification, one can observe faster deglaciation and modification of terrestrial landscapes. Finally, the marine environment is significantly changing especially in fjords. A better digesting of processes leading to such changes together with their quantification for modelling and more precise predictions require long data series from monitoring of the crucial parameters (as a background) and experimental field projects concentrated on specific subjects in many locations. This strategy is an obvious way of polar environment studies and in Svalbard is promoted and coordinated by SIOS and also within national research programmes.
Long-term Polish-Norwegian collaboration between leading research institutions and operators of polar infrastructure is diverse and changes slightly over time. Research groups from Universities and scientific institutions have diverse agreements with partners abroad related to prepared research projects or the student’s exchange.
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