Svalbard, the Norwegian archipelago that lies deep inside the Arctic Circle, is on the frontline of global heating. This remote, largely barren cluster of rock, glacial ice and snow is experiencing observable, unsettling climate-induced transformation.
Studies suggest Svalbard is warming six times faster than the global average, with some researchers predicting that, by 2100, its glaciers will be losing ice at double the current rate, regardless of whether global climate targets are hit.
“The climate on Svalbard is altering dramatically,” says Andrea Spolaor, who studies environmental chemistry at the Italian National Research Council. “This is a worrying situation for the archipelago, but at the same time provides a case study for understanding the effects on the environment. To understand change one must measure it, and Svalbard is, unfortunately, a good example.”
