Norges Svalbard- og Ishavs-undersøkelser (the forerunner of today’s Norwegian Polar Institute) had been created earlier for Arctic research and mapping. Over time, this institution became central to organizing Norway’s Antarctic expeditions, including later geological and topographic survey programs in Queen Maud Land.
Norway formally claimed Queen Maud Land in East Antarctica in 1939. This claim later shaped Norway’s push to keep a visible scientific presence there, including geological and mapping work, as other countries increased Antarctic activity.
An international team (Norwegian–British–Swedish) established Maudheim as a coastal base in Queen Maud Land in February 1950. The expedition combined surveys with field science; Britain led geology work, while Norway focused on meteorology and topographic surveys, building key experience for later Norwegian-led survey expeditions.
Norway launched the Sixth Norwegian Antarctic Expedition as its major IGY-related effort in Queen Maud Land. The expedition sailed from Oslo on two vessels, Polarsirkel and Polarbjørn, beginning a multi-year program centered on surveys and scientific studies.
The expedition built Norway Station (also called “Fimbul”) on the Fimbul Ice Shelf along the Queen Maud Land coast. This base enabled regular inland travel for surveying and collection work, supporting both mapping and earth-science observations across multiple seasons.
Geodesist Sigurd Helle led the expedition’s on-the-ground program from Norway Station. A major focus was topographical mapping—measuring and recording the shape and position of land and ice features—creating a stronger geographic framework for interpreting local geology and planning later fieldwork.
The International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1957–1958 organized major international collaboration in Earth science and helped drive new year-round Antarctic stations. For Norway, the IGY created a clear reason to establish a staffed base in Queen Maud Land and carry out systematic surveying and related field science.
In September 1957, the International Council of Scientific Unions established the Special Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) to coordinate scientific work in Antarctica after the IGY. Norway’s active program at Norway Station helped keep it among the countries shaping post-IGY Antarctic research cooperation.
During the Norway Station years, Norway also used extensive aerial photography to support map production. Aerial images helped fill gaps between ground survey routes, improving the accuracy and coverage of mapped terrain that later geological parties could use for route planning and regional interpretation.
Twelve countries, including Norway, signed the Antarctic Treaty in Washington, D.C. The treaty set Antarctica aside for peaceful purposes and protected freedom of scientific investigation, while also preventing territorial claims from being expanded or newly asserted under its rules.
After several years of surveys and scientific work, Norway ended its Norway Station-based expedition and withdrew in 1960. The multi-year presence had supported Norway’s mapping goals in Queen Maud Land and contributed to the broader international science momentum created by the IGY period.
The Antarctic Treaty entered into force in 1961, turning the 1959 agreement into binding international rules. This helped lock in Antarctica’s role as a shared scientific region, affecting how geological and mapping programs in places like Queen Maud Land would be organized and shared in the years that followed.
Norwegian Antarctic Expedition geological surveys in Queen Maud Land (1956–1961)