Svalbard

16 Stories

Camper in the Arctic Injured by Polar Bear

French tourist survives, but bear in Norway is killed

(Newser) - A polar bear attacked a campsite Monday in Norway's remote Arctic Svalbard Islands, injuring a French tourist, per the AP . Her wounds weren't life-threatening, and the bear was later killed. The woman, who wasn't identified, was part of a tour group of 25 people camping at Sveasletta,...

$9M Doomsday Vault Getting $13M Upgrade
After 'Doomsday Vault'
Withdrawal Comes a Deposit
UPDATED
Feb 14, 2022 12:06 PM CST

After 'Doomsday Vault' Withdrawal Comes a Deposit

Group formerly in Syria deposits seeds for safeguarding, a milestone for the vault

(Newser) - Updated: The world's "Doomsday Vault" opened its doors Monday to accept more seeds from abroad. The vault in Norway was taking seeds for safeguarding from facilities in Uganda, Sudan, New Zealand, Germany, and Lebanon, reports Reuters . Most notably, the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas, formerly...

They Were Camping in the Arctic. Then, a 4am Visitor

Polar bear kills one in Norway's Svalbard Islands

(Newser) - A polar bear attacked a camping site and killed a foreign national in the remote Svalbard Islands on Friday, authorities said, adding that the animal itself was killed as well. The man was rushed to the hospital in Longyearbyen, where he was declared dead by doctors, Deputy Governor Soelvi Elvedah...

At the Top of the World, a Very Unusual Crime
At the Top of the World,
a Very Unusual Crime
in case you missed it
Feb 1, 2020 11:30 AM CST

At the Top of the World, a Very Unusual Crime

Revisiting the bank robbery that shook Longyearbyen, Norway

(Newser) - Though rifles abound in Longyearbyen, Norway, the worst crimes that tended to occur were the theft of unattended boots—until late 2018, that is. In a piece for Outside Online , David Kushner takes readers to one of the northernmost settlements on the planet, a town of 2,200 that sits...

'Terrifying' Arctic Find: 200 Dead Reindeer

Climate change blamed for difficult conditions in Norway

(Newser) - In an ongoing bout with climate change, Arctic reindeer aren't doing so hot. Some 200 of the animals have been found dead on Norway's Svalbard archipelago, each below the average weight of 150 to 200 pounds. The Norwegian Polar Institute, which made the discovery during the annual wild...

Polar Bear Killed in Attack on Cruise Ship Guard

It's high season in Arctic tourism

(Newser) - Norwegian authorities said a polar bear on Saturday attacked and injured a polar bear guard who was leading tourists off a cruise ship on an Arctic archipelago. The polar bear was shot dead by another employee. The Joint Rescue Coordination for Northern Norway tweeted that the attack occurred when the...

At Doomsday Vault Meant to Protect Our Seeds, a Breach

But don't panic just yet

(Newser) - "This is supposed to last for eternity," says the operator of the so-called Doomsday Vault , which since 2008 has been tucked within a mountain on a Norwegian island 800 miles from the North Pole where the soil is always frozen—or is supposed to be. The Guardian reports...

Santa's Reindeer Are Shrinking
Santa's Reindeer
Are Shrinking
Dec 12, 2016 8:29 AM CST

Santa's Reindeer Are Shrinking

Blame warmer temperatures, say scientists

(Newser) - Santa might need to recruit a few extra reindeer this year. According to Scottish scientists, Arctic reindeer are shrinking in size. Scientists weighed 135 reindeer on Norway's Svalbard archipelago, about 800 miles from the North Pole, each April from 1994 to 2015 and found the animals shrank from 121...

'Doomsday Vault' Sees Its First Withdrawal

Spurred by the Syrian civil war

(Newser) - The "Doomsday Vault" just got its first bit of doomsday press: coverage of its first-ever withdrawal of seeds. Since 2008, the vault has sat on a Norwegian island in the Svalbard archipelago, 800 miles from the North Pole where the soil is always frozen. It's a place so...

A Rare Total Solar Eclipse Wows (Parts of) Earth

Svalbard, Norway, offered perfect view, though clouds obstructed other areas

(Newser) - Sky-gazers in the Arctic were treated to a perfect view of a total solar eclipse today as the moon completely blocked out the sun in a clear sky, casting a shadow over Norway's remote archipelago of Svalbard. People shouted, cheered, and applauded as Longyearbyen, the main town in Svalbard,...

Polar Bear Mauls Solar Eclipse Tourist

Czech tourist was in his tent in Norway's Svalbard archipelago

(Newser) - A Czech tourist suffered minor injuries when a polar bear attacked the tent he was sleeping in on the remote Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, Norwegian authorities said today. Police spokesman Vidar Arnesen said the man, whom he didn't identify, was among a group of six that was on a...

'Doomsday Vault' Gets First Tree Seeds

Spruce and pine among new collection added to Svalbard Global Seed Vault

(Newser) - The " Doomsday Vault " sits on an Arctic Island, quietly helping to protect our future. At first, it mostly collected and stored food crops, but it recently got its first shipment of tree seeds, Wired reports. Norway spruce and Scots pine are, of course, not much of a meal,...

In This Frigid Territory, Unemployment Is Illegal

As a result, Svalbard is basically crime-free

(Newser) - How does Svalbard, Norway, remain nearly crime-free? There are a number of factors (there are fewer than 3,000 official residents and it's a remote territory with no quick escape routes), but perhaps the biggest one is that in Svalbard, it's basically against the law to be unemployed....

For Fastest Internet, Try a Cabin on Edge of the World

Tiny Svalbard dwelling boasts world-class speeds

(Newser) - You wouldn't think a 750-square-foot cabin on the edge of a rock near the North Pole would offer much in the way of cutting-edge technology. After all, there are more polar bears than people in the area, and the cabin doesn't even have running water. What its Norwegian...

New Way to Fight Global Warming: Wipe Your Feet

Scientist cleans visitors' shoes to keep plant invaders from taking root on Arctic isle

(Newser) - Global warming could make it easier for non-native plants to take root on the Arctic's Svalbard archipelago, but one researcher is fighting the problem on the ground level, Der Spiegel reports. Chris Ware has set up shop at Longyearbyen’s airport, where he cleans arriving passengers' shoes. "Dirt almost...

As Ice Shrinks, Islands Emerge
As Ice Shrinks, Islands Emerge
Aug 21, 2007 7:44 AM CDT

As Ice Shrinks, Islands Emerge

New, unclaimed territories raise fears of accelerated global warming

(Newser) - The melting of ice in the Arctic Ocean has revealed previously undiscovered islands, one approximately the size of a basketball court. Reuters reports that the formerly submerged islands are unclaimed by any government but lie near Svalbard, the Norwegian territory north of the Arctic Circle. The discoveries raise fears that...

16 Stories