Fridtjof Nansen particularly in the polar regions. The Nansen family originated in Denmark. Hans Nansen (1598–1667), a trader, was an early explorer of the White Sea region of the Arctic Ocean. In later life he settled in Copenhagen, becoming the city's "borgmester" in 1654. Later generations of the family lived in Copenhagen until the mid-18th century, when Ancher Antoni Nansen moved to Norway (then in a union with Denmark). His son, Hans Leierdahl Nansen (1764–1821), was a magistrate first in the Trondheim district, later in Jæren. After Norway's separation from Denmark in 1814, he entered national political life as the representative for
Closed Basin Project Habitat Area. In this area the water table is very close to the surface. Water can evaporate directly from the soil or be taken up by plants such as salt grass, rabbit brush and greasewood, which release the water through evapotranspiration. The Closed Basin Project was authorized by Congress in 1972 to extract groundwater from the lowest part of the basin in an area that covers . Colorado uses the water as part of its contribution to the Rio Grande Compact of 1939, making more water available for irrigation in Colorado. It also helps the United States meet its 1906