Research stations and vessels

The Norwegian Polar Institute, equip and organize large expeditions to both poles. The institute owns the research vessel "Lance" and runs the Sverdrup Station and the Zeppelin station for atmospheric research and monitoring in Ny-Ålesund on Svalbard, and the Troll research station and field station in the Antarctic Gate.

Arctic

The Institute's activities are focused on environmental management needs in the polar regions. Along with environmental cooperation in the Barents region, research on climate change, transboundary pollution, effects of pollution on the environment, biodiversity and topographical mapping is important work for the Norwegian Polar Institute in the North.

The Norwegian Polar Institute owns and runs the Sverdrup Research Station and also owns the Zeppelin station for atmospheric research and monitoring in Ny-Ålesund on Svalbard. These important platforms contribute to the institute's research, and provide continuous data to support our researchers in their work.

Antarctica

In Antarctica, the Norwegian Polar Institute organized regular expeditions since 1976. In Dronning Maud Land in Antarctica the Polar Institute runs the Troll research station, which since 2005 has served as a permanent, all-year station. Here we conduct meteorological and atmospheric measurements, and it is the base for the Polar Institute's field expeditions. In addition, our staff maintain the field station Tor, which is used in ornithological studies. The department also has an office in Cape Town to coordinate expeditions in the southern latitudes.

RV "Lance"

The research vessel "Lance" was launched in 1978 as a fishing and sealing vessels, but the high operating costs made the vessel's career as a fishing vessel was relatively short. Norwegian Mapping Authority bought the ship in 1981 and "Lance" was converted to a survey and research which could also be used to assist in oil spills. In 1992 the ship was again restructured with the purpose to be used for research in the Arctic and Antarctic. In 1994 the ship was taken over by the Norwegian Polar Institute, and "Lance" is now used as a research and expedition vessel of the Department and our partners.