To truly understand how the Arctic is changing, we need more than satellite images—we need ground truth.
That’s why Abigail Waring, a PhD student from National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) at the University of Leicester travelled to Ny-Ålesund to install a thermal radiometer station as part of her research. The Arctic is warming four times faster than the global average, a phenomenon known as Arctic amplification. This rapid change is driven by seasonal shifts in snow, ice, and exposed ground, which dramatically affect surface temperatures. Their station provides precise, on-the-ground temperature data across different surfaces and conditions, helping to validate and improve satellite observations. With seasonal melting and refreezing, this kind of detailed monitoring is essential for tracking how the Arctic responds to climate change.
Abigail has written an excellent blog about her time up in Ny-Ålesund, supported by the NERC Arctic Research Station. She gives some fantastic insights into what doing research in Ny-Ålesund is like. Full blog is available here: Arctic Adventures: Satellite Science in the Northernmost Town on Earth – National Centre for Earth Observation
