Svalbard

The Svalbard archipelago is located about half way between mainland Norway and the North Pole, between 74° and 81° degrees north. Sixty percent of the archipelago is covered in ice for the whole year and permafrost influences all soils that are not insulated by the glaciers. Due to cold ocean currents flowing south, most of the ice-cover is found on the east and north of the archipelago. Part of the Gulf Stream flows up the western side of the archipelago, resulting in more favourable climatic conditions in the centre of the main island, Spitzbergen.

Isfjorden, Svalbard © Malcolm Parsons

The mean annual temperature for Longyearbyen, the main town, is -5.4°C and the mean July temperature is 6.0°C, while the annual precipitation for Longyearbyen is 208mm (Statistics Norway).