in Svalbard, a scientific station closer to global warming

The scenery is breathtaking. Large expanses of snow as far as the eye can see, but for how much longer? Svalbard, a village at the end of the world, brings together scientists from all countries. Welcome to Ny-Alesund, the international outpost of climate research. On the Fjord, a boat from the polar station takes us to a glacier. On the way, we see an iceberg that has broken away. To observe the evolution of the glacier, scientists are here at the forefront. “It’s such a rapid change that even ecosystems are struggling to adapt”says Grégory Tran, station chief of the AWIPEV research base in the Arctic.

The French Polar Institute has joined forces with its German counterpart. In this village, the most northern in the world, a dozen nations work together to pool resources. Here, interest in the climate transcends nationalities. “It concerns everyone, because the Arctic plays a role in regulating the global climate, it has an important role for global ocean currents”, explains Steeve Comeau, CNRS researcher at the oceanography laboratory in Villefranche (Rhône). The station’s measuring instruments make it possible to draw up a picture of climate change over time. With Arctic amplification, the region is warming two to three times faster than the rest of the planet. If this trajectory does not change, Svalbard could be completely ice-free before the end of the century.