A number of governments maintain permanent research stations in the Arctic. Also known as Arctic bases, polar stations or ice stations, these bases are widely distributed across the northern polar region of Earth.

Historically few research stations have been permanent. Most of them were temporary, being abandoned after the completion of the project or owing to lack of funding to continue the research. Some of these were military or listening posts created as a result of the proximity of the United States and Soviet Union to each other's landmass across the polar region.

Ice stations are constructed on land or on ice that rests on land, while others are drifting ice stations built on the sea ice of the high latitudes of the Arctic Ocean.

Research stations

+ Active research stationsStation nameLocationOperating countryPopulation Summer Winter Abisko Scientific Research Station Abisko, Sápmi Sweden 1903 12 12 Adam Mickiewicz University Polar Station Petuniabukta, Svalbard, Norway Poland 2011 Alomar Observatory Andøya Space, Andøya, Svalbard Norway 1994 Yellow River Station Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway China 2003 25 2 AWIPEV Arctic Research Station(Rabot/Jean Corbel Stations) Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway FranceGermany 2003/1963 40/<8 3 Barrow Observatory Point Barrow, Alaska United States 1973 2 2 Canadian High Arctic Research Station(CHARS) campus Cambridge Bay, Nunavut Canada 2019 26 26 E. K. Fyodorov Hydrometeorological Observatory(ex Chelyuskin Polar Station)On northernmost tip of Eurasian mainland, a showoff of Northern Fleet capacity; Navy vessels put ashore a group of Arctic soldiers at Cape Chelyuskin, 77° North, by Atle Staalesen, The Barents Observer Cape Chelyuskin, Krasnoyarsk Krai RussiaSoviet Union 1932 Chetyrokhstolbovoy Polar StationИстория полярных арктических станций с 30-х годов XX века (History of polar arctic stations from the 1930s in the XX century) Medvezhyi Islands, Sakha RussiaSoviet Union 1933 China-Iceland Arctic Science Observatory(CIAO)China-Iceland Joint Arctic Observatory Official WebsiteCHINA ICELAND ARCTIC RESEARCH OBSERVATORY EU-INTERACT Kárhóll, Iceland ChinaIceland 2018 Churchill Northern Studies Centre(CNSC)Churchill Northern Studies Centre Churchill, Manitoba Canada 1976 88 Czech Arctic Research StationCzech Arctic Research Station Longyearbyen and Petuniabukta,Svalbard, Norway 2014 4 2 Daneborg Wollaston Foreland, Greenland Denmark 1944 12 Danmarkshavn Dove Bay, Greenland Denmark 1906 6 Dirigibile Italia Arctic Station Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway Italy 1997 7 Dr. Neil Trivett Global Atmosphere Watch Observatory Alert, Nunavut Canada 1986 Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station Devon Island, Nunavut Canada 2001 9 9 Gurreholm Research Station Jameson Land, Greenland Denmark 1937 Himadri Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway India 2008 8 Igloolik Research CentreIgloolik Research Centre, Igloolik, Igloolik Island, NU Igloolik, Nunavut Canada 1975 22 10 IndARCIndia Deploys its First Sub-Surface Ocean Moored Observatory in the Arctic Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, Norway India 2014 International Biological Station Lena-NordenskiöldInternational Biological Station (IBS) "Lena-Nordenskiold", Lena River Delta Tiksi, Sakha Russia 1995 Iqaluit Research CentreIqaluit Research CentreIqaluit Research Centre, Nunavut Arctic College (Nunavut Research Institute) Iqaluit, Nunavut Canada 1978 20 10 Kevo Research Station Kevo Finland 1958 12 7 Kilpisjärvi Biological StationKilpisjärvi Biological StationUniversity of Helsinki - Kilpisjärvi Biological Station Kilpisjärvi Finland 1964 Kiruna Sweden 1957 Kluane Lake Research StationKluane Lake Research Station Kluane Lake, Yukon Canada 1961 35 Koldewey Station Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway Germany 1991 Labytnangi Ecological Research StationLabytnangi Ecological Research Station Labytnangi, Yamalo-Nenets RussiaSoviet Union 1954 25 McGill Arctic Research StationMcGill Arctic Research Station (MARS) Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut Canada 1960 12 0 Mestersvig Scoresby Land, Greenland Denmark 1956 40 2 Mývatn Research Station Mývatn Iceland 1975 Netherlands Arctic Station, Univ Groningen Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway Netherlands 1995 Nicolaus Copernicus University Polar Station Kaffiøyra, Svalbard, Norway Poland 1975 2 0 Station Nord Princess Ingeborg Peninsula, Greenland Denmark 1952 25 5 Northeast Science StationBBC news report Chersky, Sakha RussiaSoviet Union 1977 65 5 Ny-ÅlesundUK Arctic Research Station Spitsbergen, Svalbard Norway 1967 117 35 Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory(PEARL)Polar Environment Atmospheric Research LaboratoryPolar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory, PEARL Eureka, Nunavut Canada 1993 Polish Polar Station Hornsund, Svalbard, Norway Poland 1957 10 Prima Polar StationФотогалерея: 2004 - "Полярное Кольцо" - Местонахождение: 17 мая, Северная Земля, о.Большевик, м.Баранова, п/ст Примах Cape Baranov, Bolshevik Island,Severnaya Zemlya RussiaSoviet Union 1986 Samoylov StationSamoylov Station Lena Delta Wildlife Reserve, Sakha Russia 1998 16 8 Sermilik Station Ammassalik Island, Greenland AustriaDenmark 1970, 2023 30 6 Sodankylä Arctic Research CentreFMI ARC Sodankylä Finland 1949 30 20 Stanisław Baranowski Spitsbergen Polar Station Werenskioldbreen, Svalbard, Norway Poland 1971 Summit Station Near summit of theGreenland ice sheet, Greenland United States 1989 50 5 Thule Research StationThule Research Station Pituffik, Greenland Denmark 1995 10 Toolik Field StationToolik Field Station Toolik Lake, Alaska United States 1975 175 Troynoy Island Polar Station RussiaSoviet Union 1953 5 0 Tundra Ecosystem Research Station(TERS)Tundra Ecosystem Research Station Daring Lake, Northwest Territories Canada 1994 30 0 University of Copenhagen Arctic Station Qeqertarsuaq, Greenland Denmark 1906 39 Ward Hunt Island Observatory Research StationWard Hunt Island Observatory Research Station; Centre d'études nordiques (CEN)/ Centre for Northern Studies Ward Hunt Island, Nunavut Canada 1957 9 0 Western Arctic Research CentreWestern Arctic Research Centre Inuvik, Northwest Territories Canada 1964 34 Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik Research ComplexCEN Whapmagoostui-Kuujuarapik Research Station Whapmagoostui, Quebec Canada 1971 28 White Sea Biological Station(WSBS MSU)White Sea Biological Station (WSBS MSU) Chupa, Republic of Karelia RussiaSoviet Union 1938 180 50 Villum Research Station<www.villumresearchstation.dk><Goodsite, M. Skov, H. Asmund, G. Bennike, O. Feilberg, A. Glasius, M. Gross, A. Hermanson, M.H. (2014) Pilot Study of Contaminants near Station Nord, a Military Airbase and Research Station in NE Greenland. NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Sustainable Cities and Military Installations: Climate Change Impact on Energy and Environmental Security. Conference paper 177-98. DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-7161-1_10.> Station Nord, North Greenland Denmark 1990 14 Vize Island Arctic Research Station , Krasnoyarsk Krai RussiaSoviet Union 1945 0 Zackenberg Station Wollaston Foreland, Greenland Denmark 1997 25 0 Zeppelin Zeppelinfjellet, Svalbard Norway 1990

+ Inactive research stationsStation nameLocationOperating countryClosedStatus Begichev Polar Station Maly Begichev Island, Krasnoyarsk Krai RussiaSoviet Union Abandoned Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Polar StationSoviets gather geographic data in Arctic - CIA Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island. Sakha RussiaSoviet Union Abandoned Borg wintering station Denmark 1912 1913 Abandoned Eismitte Greenland ice sheet, Greenland Germany 1930 1931 Abandoned Britannia Sø Field Camp Britannia Lake, Queen Louise Land, Greenland United Kingdom 1952 1954 Abandoned Brønlundhus Peary Land, Greenland Denmark 1947 Transformed into a museum Buor-Khaya Polar StationDeserted Buor-Khaya Polar Station Buor-Khaya Gulf, Sakha RussiaSoviet Union Abandoned Centrumsø Research Station Centrum Lake, Greenland Denmark 1954 Abandoned Dye 3 Four different locations in southern Greenland United States 1971 1991 Ernst Krenkel Observatory Hayes Island (Heiss Island), Arkhangelsk Oblast Soviet Union 1956 1980 Golomyanniy Island Polar StationGolomyanniy Station in Severnaya ZemlyaКнига: Два года на северной земле Sredniy Island, off Severnaya Zemlya RussiaSoviet Union 1954 Heiberg Polar Station Heiberg Islands, Krasnoyarsk Krai RussiaSoviet Union 1940 1995 Isachsen Station Ellef Ringnes Island, Nunavut Canada 1948 1978 Izluchin Polar Station Komsomolets Island, Severnaya Zemlya, Krasnoyarsk Krai RussiaSoviet Union Abandoned Kap Harald Moltke Peary Land, Greenland Denmark 1972 Kigilyakh Research Station Kigilyakh Peninsula, Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island, New Siberian Islands RussiaSoviet Union Kolyuchin Polar Station Kolyuchin Island, Chukotka RussiaSoviet Union 1990s Abandoned Lavrentiya Research Station Lavrentiya, Chukotka RussiaSoviet Union NEEM Camp Northern Greenland ice sheet, Greenland Denmark 2008 2015 North Ice Northern Greenland ice sheet, Greenland United Kingdom 1952 1954 Oststation Jameson Land, Greenland Germany 1930 1931 Abandoned Peschanny Polar Station Cape Unslicht, Bolshevik Island, Severnaya Zemlya RussiaSoviet Union Abandoned Popov Polar StationPopov Polar Station Bely Island, Yamalo-Nenets RussiaSoviet Union 1933 2001 Preobrazheniya Polar Station Preobrazheniya Island, Sakha RussiaSoviet Union Abandoned Provideniya Research Station Provideniya, Chukotka RussiaSoviet Union Resolute Nunavut StationNuclear Explosion Monitoring (NEM) Resolute, Nunavut Canada 1947 Russky Island Arctic StationF. Romanenko, O. Shilovtseva. Russian-Soviet polar stations and their role in the Arctic Seas exploration. Moscow State University, Geography Department, 1998 Russky Island, Nordenskiöld Archipelago, Krasnoyarsk Krai RussiaSoviet Union 1935 1999 Samuila Polar Station Samuila Island, Komsomolskaya Pravda Islands, Krasnoyarsk Krai RussiaSoviet Union Abandoned Solnechny Polar Station Solnechny Bay, Bolshevik Island, Severnaya Zemlya RussiaSoviet Union 1952 Abandoned Stolbovoy Meteorological StationСеверный морской путь оснащается современными приборами навигации Stolbovoy Island, Sakha RussiaSoviet Union Abandoned Tuktoyaktuk Station Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories Canada 1997 Tyrtov Island Polar Station Tyrtov Island, Nordenskiöld Archipelago, Krasnoyarsk Krai RussiaSoviet Union 1940 1975 Uedineniya Polar Station Uyedineniya Island, Krasnoyarsk Krai RussiaSoviet Union 1996 Ushakov Island Polar Station Ushakov Island, Krasnoyarsk Krai RussiaSoviet Union 1954 1980s Vavilov Meteorological Station October Revolution Island, Severnaya Zemlya RussiaSoviet Union 1974 1988 Willem Barents Biological StationWillem Barents Biological Station Meduza Bay, Krasnoyarsk Krai RussiaSoviet Union Wrangel Island Cape Blossom StationState Nature Reserve "Wrangel Island Cape Blossom, Wrangel Island, Chukotka RussiaSoviet Union Ushakovskoye, Wrangel Island, Chukotka RussiaSoviet Union Yenisei Ecological StationEnisei Ecological Station "Mirnoe" Mirnoye, Turukhansky District, Krasnoyarsk Krai RussiaSoviet Union

Drifting ice stations