Das Projekt "Oberflaechen-Energiebilanz und thermomechanischer Zustand des Hans-Gletschers, Hornsund, Spitzbergen" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Geographisches Institut durchgeführt. The project proposes a co-operation with Polish glaciologists in the Hornsund area in south Spitsbergen. Long term studies on the geometry, mass balance and movement, and specific investigations on calving rate, chemical composition of snow and run-off water, and the thermal conditions of several glaciers were performed during the last decade. The planned Swiss contribution includes providing an open system hot water drill for efficient and fast drilling through the ice and establishing a climatological station at ELA on Hans Glacier near the Polish Polar Station. This contribution would complete the Polish programme in an important area. The Polish personnel at the Hornsund Station will supervise the climatological station year round. A major reason to choose Spitsbergen is the extremely high sensitivity of the local glaciers to climatic changes. This is due to the fact that the mass balance of the Spitsbergen glaciers is strongly controlled by the course of the Gulf Stream, which changes rather drastically in variable climatic conditions. A closer co-operation in the education of students in the physics of climate related to glaciers and mathematical modelling of ice masses is also planned between the Polish group and the Department of Geography, ETH-Z. This planned co-operation is a spin off of mutual visits of the scientists involved, partially financed by the 'Soforthilfeprogramm fuer Osteuropaeische Staaten' of the Schweizerische Nationalfonds.