Kings Bay in Svalbard 1916 – 2016
From mining to research services and climate observatories
Kings Bay in Svalbard 1916-2016 deals with the state-owned company Kings Bay AS, which was established in 1916 and began mining in Svalbard in 1917. The various periods of coal mining, the explosion accident in 1962, and the total transformation from a mining company to an Arctic research base are explained. Kings Bay AS owns and operates Ny-Ålesund, the world's northernmost urban community. Buildings have been preserved, and nature has increasingly been taken into account. The community is adapted for scientific research. The research is directed at Arctic nature and the changes that occur simultaneously with global pollution and warming. Within the framework of Norwegian state infrastructure, researchers and research staff from a number of nations work.
Rolf Hanoa has held positions and assignments as a physician in Svalbard over the years. He is a senior consultant at the Department of Neurosurgery, Oslo University Hospital, and a professor of occupational medicine at the University of Bergen.
