S5 Ep4: Land of the rising sun - life at a Svalbard research station, with Iain Rudkin and Henry Burgess
From Iceworld by British Antarctic Survey
August 25, 2025 · 31 min · Season 5 · Episode 4
About this episode
The episode explores life at the UK's only Arctic research station in Svalbard, discussing climate change and international scientific cooperation.
Journey to the top of the world as Iceworld ventures into the Arctic for the first time, exploring the UK's only Arctic research station at Ny-Ålesund in Svalbard. Located at 78° north, this unique international research village brings together ten countries in one of the world's most rapidly changing environments. From retreating glaciers to beluga whales passing by the station dock, Ny-Ålesund offers a front-row seat to climate change in action. Host Nadia Frontier speaks with Iain Rudkin, Arctic Operations Manager currently stationed in Svalbard, and Henry Burgess, Head of NERC's Arctic Office, calling in from Cambridge. They discuss the dramatic seasonal contrasts from temperate summers to -30°C winters, the challenges of managing a small but impactful research station, and the powerful storytelling opportunities when politicians witness first-hand the open waters where solid ice once stretched across the fjord. This episode reveals how Svalbard serves as both a window into our changing planet and a testament to international scientific cooperation at the cutting edge of climate research. --- Welcome to Antarctica. What's it like living and working in one of the most extreme…
People in this episode
Host: Nadia Frontier
Guests: Iain Rudkin, Henry Burgess
Topics covered
- Arctic research
- climate change
- international cooperation
- Svalbard
- Ny-Ålesund
Keywords
- retreating glaciers
- beluga whales
- seasonal contrasts
- climate research
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Iceworld
Places: Svalbard, Arctic, UK, Svalbard, Cambridge, Antarctica
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- S5 Ep11: Can you be vegan in Antarctica? · April 7, 2026 · 33 min
- S5 Ep10: Living and working in the polar desert · March 2, 2026 · 31 min
- S5 Ep9: Fixing aircraft in Antarctica · February 16, 2026 · 29 min
- S5 Ep8: Christmas in Antarctica · December 22, 2025 · 29 min
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