Air samples for determination of halocarbons and light hydrocarbons were collected at Spitsbergen in July 1982 and in March 1983. With the exception of ethene and propene, which appear to originate mainly from natural sources, hydrocarbon concentration levels were generally one order of magnitude higher for the March 1983 samples than for the summer samples. This is explained by difference in atmospheric reactivity, and particularly by direct transport of polluted air masses from the Soviet Union during March 1983.

The spring samples from Spitsbergen were more abundant in alkanes and less abundant in solvents than air sampled at Barrow by Rasmussen et al. (1983) in March 1982. Ny-Alesund is a good site to measure air coming off the Soviet Union and Europe. Continued sampling could provide valuable information about questions related to global climite, Arctic haze and the chemical composition of the troposphere.