The center was established in 1990 with two tasks: first, to function as the national coordinating office for the world Arctic research community; secondly, to conduct its own research. The recent rapid growth in human activity is affecting the environmental conditions of the entire planet, and particularly the two polar regions. Because of concern about this activity, Japan, as a country located in the northern hemisphere, supports environmental research in the Arctic region, which is being carried out generally within the framework of international cooperation. The center is operated by scientists who specialize respectively in various research fields concerning the Arctic environment. At present, eight scientists representing the original disciplines of meteorology, glaciology, oceanography, terrestrial biology, and upper atmosphere physics are collaborating on the study of the structure and variations of the atmosphere, and the marine and terrestrial environment of the Arctic. The knowledge and experience accumulated by NIPR from its Antarctic research are essential for the Center in planning and executing Arctic research.

To fulfill the given tasks, the center maintains an Arctic field laboratory in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. Various field activities have been newly started or are planned at the laboratory, on the nearby glaciers in the fjord or in its vicinity. Furthermore, Japanese research areas have also been extended to Siberia, the Barents Sea, the Canadian Arctic and other regions.

The main themes of the current research are as follows.

Atmospheric science

• monitoring of atmospheric minor constituents (carbon dioxide, methane, ozone)
• Lidar (Laser Radar) observations of polar stratospheric clouds
• Dynamics of polar atmospheric disturbances

Glaciology

• ice core drilling to reveal past climatic environment
• snow sampling to clarify transportation and depositional processes

Terrestrial biology

• response of vegetation affected by global warming
• monitoring study of tundra ecosystem

Oceanography

• physical and biological processes in polynyas
• air-sea CO2 exchange at high latitude

Upper Atmosphere Physics

• radar aeronomy by EISCAT, Meteor, HF, MF and other radars
• Arctic atmospheric and electromagnetic environmental study by radio and optical methods