Runway Melts at World's Northernmost Airport
The runway in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, is melting. When it was built in the 1970s, no one expected the permafrost beneath it to start melting, but that's what's happening now, writes CNN.
- During the summer months, we have to check the runway carefully every day, because the ground can give way at any time. This is a challenge that we only expect to get worse over time, says airport manager Ragnhild Kommisrud to CNN.
If the airport were forced to close, supplies would have to arrive by ship.
The runway in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, is melting. When it was built in the 1970s, no one expected the permafrost beneath it to start melting, but that's what's happening now, writes CNN.
- During the summer months, we have to check the runway carefully every day, because the ground can give way at any time. This is a challenge that we only expect to get worse over time, says airport manager Ragnhild Kommisrud to CNN.
If the airport were forced to close, supplies would have to arrive by ship.
Tourism Most Important in Svalbard as Coal Mines Close
Electricity and energy production have long been a sensitive issue in Svalbard. The local community wants to prevent global warming and preserve the archipelago's pristine nature, while the local economy was until recently almost entirely powered by coal, writes CNN.
Over the past decade, Norwegian-owned mines have phased out production. The Svea mine, one of the largest and most productive mines on Svalbard, closed in 2020.
A Russian-owned coal mine in Barentsburg, the island's second largest village, remains open.
Svalbard has also been a major consumer of coal, burning it to generate heat and electricity for the island. Switching to other alternatives is about the future of Svalbard communities, writes CNN.
Now that coal has largely left Svalbard, tourism is the most important economic activity.
Electricity and energy production have long been a sensitive issue in Svalbard. The local community wants to prevent global warming and preserve the archipelago's pristine nature, while the local economy was until recently almost entirely powered by coal, writes CNN.
Over the past decade, Norwegian-owned mines have phased out production. The Svea mine, one of the largest and most productive mines on Svalbard, closed in 2020.
A Russian-owned coal mine in Barentsburg, the island's second largest village, remains open.
Svalbard has also been a major consumer of coal, burning it to generate heat and electricity for the island. Switching to other alternatives is about the future of Svalbard communities, writes CNN.
Now that coal has largely left Svalbard, tourism is the most important economic activity.
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