Hopenis an island in the southeastern part of theSvalbardarchipelago (Norway). Hopen was discovered in 1596 byJan Cornelisz Rijpduring the third expedition byWillem Barentsz,trying to find theNortheast Passage. Later, in 1613, its name was given byThomas MarmadukeofHull,who named it after his former command, theHopewell.
 Hopen in the southeast. | |
  Hopen Location of the island | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Arctic Ocean |
| Coordinates | 76°33′N25°7′E/ 76.550°N 25.117°E |
| Archipelago | Svalbard |
| Area | 47 km2(18 sq mi) |
| Length | 33 km (20.5 mi) |
| Width | 2 km (1.2 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 370 m (1210 ft) |
| Highest point | Iversenfjellet |
| Administration | |
Norway | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 4 |
| Official name | Hopen |
| Designated | 12 November 2010 |
| Reference no. | 1957[1] |
TheNorwegian Meteorological Institutesince 1947 operatesa staffed weather stationon the island with a staff of four persons. For the welfare of the crew, there are three cabins available on the island for their use.[2][3][4]
History
editDuringWorld War II,theLuftwaffeplaced a meteorological team there under cover ofOperation Zitronella.Due to their remote location, the German soldiers on Hopen were the last in Europe to surrender to the allies, who had to in fact be rescued after losing radio contact almost 5 months prior.[5]
On August 28, 1978 an early modelTupolev Tu-16of theSoviet Air Forcecrashed on the island. All seven crew were killed in the accident. It was discovered two days later by the four-man Norwegian weather forecasting team. The USSR refused to admit the loss of an aircraft until the bodies of the crew were given to them. Norway transcribed the contents of the flight recorder over the objections of the Soviet government.[6]
Environment
editA significant number ofpolar bearsare found at Hopen in the winter;[7][8]moreover, the sub-population ofUrsus maritimusfound here is ageneticallydistinct taxon of polar bears associated with theBarents Searegion.[9]Since 2003, little sea ice has surrounded the island.[4]
Important Bird Area
editThe island has been identified as anImportant Bird Area(IBA) byBirdLife International.It supports breeding populations ofblack-legged kittiwakes(40,000 pairs),thick-billed guillemots(150,000 individuals) andblack guillemots(1000 pairs).[10]
Climate
editHopen has atundra climate(Köppen climate classificationET). The average annual temperature in Hopen is −3.6 °C (25.5 °F). The average annual rainfall is 355.4 mm (13.99 in) with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 3.9 °C (39.0 °F), and lowest in March, at around −10.4 °C (13.3 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Hopen was 17.4 °C (63.3 °F) on 9 July 1973; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −36.9 °C (−34.4 °F) on 4 March 1986.
| Climate data for Hopen (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1945–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 4.3 (39.7) |
4.5 (40.1) |
3.6 (38.5) |
6.9 (44.4) |
8.8 (47.8) |
15.7 (60.3) |
17.4 (63.3) |
15.7 (60.3) |
11.9 (53.4) |
10.8 (51.4) |
8.3 (46.9) |
5.5 (41.9) |
17.4 (63.3) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 1.5 (34.7) |
1.5 (34.7) |
1.3 (34.3) |
2.0 (35.6) |
3.5 (38.3) |
5.7 (42.3) |
8.5 (47.3) |
9.1 (48.4) |
7.9 (46.2) |
4.8 (40.6) |
3.1 (37.6) |
2.4 (36.3) |
10.1 (50.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −6.6 (20.1) |
−7.1 (19.2) |
−7.9 (17.8) |
−5.7 (21.7) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
2.1 (35.8) |
4.7 (40.5) |
5.1 (41.2) |
3.5 (38.3) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
−2.6 (27.3) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −9.0 (15.8) |
−9.6 (14.7) |
−10.4 (13.3) |
−8.0 (17.6) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
0.8 (33.4) |
3.3 (37.9) |
3.9 (39.0) |
2.4 (36.3) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−7.2 (19.0) |
−3.6 (25.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −11.4 (11.5) |
−12.0 (10.4) |
−12.9 (8.8) |
−10.3 (13.5) |
−4.6 (23.7) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
1.8 (35.2) |
2.6 (36.7) |
1.3 (34.3) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−9.3 (15.3) |
−5.4 (22.4) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | −21.9 (−7.4) |
−22.5 (−8.5) |
−23.3 (−9.9) |
−19.6 (−3.3) |
−11.4 (11.5) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−1.9 (28.6) |
−8.8 (16.2) |
−14.1 (6.6) |
−19.1 (−2.4) |
−26.0 (−14.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −35.5 (−31.9) |
−34.6 (−30.3) |
−36.9 (−34.4) |
−30.2 (−22.4) |
−22.2 (−8.0) |
−9.9 (14.2) |
−4.3 (24.3) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−12.4 (9.7) |
−29.0 (−20.2) |
−31.7 (−25.1) |
−35.6 (−32.1) |
−36.9 (−34.4) |
| Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 36.1 (1.42) |
26.9 (1.06) |
34.4 (1.35) |
26.3 (1.04) |
21.4 (0.84) |
18.6 (0.73) |
23.6 (0.93) |
35.4 (1.39) |
35.9 (1.41) |
34.7 (1.37) |
29.8 (1.17) |
32.4 (1.28) |
355.4 (13.99) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.1 mm) | 20.43 | 18.86 | 19.77 | 17.93 | 16.83 | 13.60 | 14.37 | 19.00 | 20.87 | 22.47 | 21.17 | 21.10 | 226.07 |
| Source: Météo climat[11][12] | |||||||||||||
Gallery
edit-
Hopen meteorological station in 2019 -
Hopen meteorological station, seen from north -
The southernmost point, Kapp Thor, and the highest point, Iversenfjellet (370m) seen from south
See also
editReferences
edit- ^"Hopen".RamsarSites Information Service.Retrieved25 April2018.
- ^Svalbard Arctic out post at strategic crossroads September 9, 1980Christian Science MonitorRetrieved August 15, 2017
- ^Umbreit, AndreasBradt Svalbard: Spitzbergen with Frank Josef Land & Jan Mayen page 132Retrieved August 15, 2017
- ^ab"Hopen - The Cruise Handbook for Svalbard".cruise-handbook.npolar.no.Retrieved2023-08-31.
- ^Farelly, Elly (2016-06-16)."These Germans Stationed Near The North Pole Were The Last To Surrender, In September 1945!".warhistoryonline.Retrieved2023-08-31.
- ^Soviet Union Military Plane Crashes in Norway October 27, 1978Retrieved August 15, 2017
- ^Derocher AE, Andersen M, Wiig Ø, Aars J, Hansen E, Biuw M. 2011. Sea ice and polar bear den ecology at Hopen Island, Svalbard. Marine Ecology Progress Series 441:273-279.
- ^Oysten Wiig and Kjell Isaksen
- ^C. Michael Hogan, 2008
- ^"Hopen Island".Important Bird Areas factsheet.BirdLife International. 2013.Retrieved2013-08-22.
- ^"Moyennes 1991-2020 Norvege (Jan Mayen/Svalbard)"(in French).Retrieved1 June2022.
- ^"Météo Climat stats for Hopen".Météo Climat.Retrieved1 June2022.
Bibliography
edit- C. Michael Hogan (2008)Polar Bear: Ursus maritimus,Globaltwitcher.com, ed. Nicklas Stromberg
- Oysten Wiig and Kjell IsaksenSeasonal Distribution of Harbour Seals, Bearded Seals, White Whales and Polar Bears in the Barents Sea