Ann Daniels, a mother of four and part-time explorer from Devon, England, has been making trips to the Arctic since 1997 – a time when there was enough ice cover to complete the journey on foot. Over the years, the receding ice has necessitated swimming more and more to cover the same distance. She shares her thoughts about swimming in Arctic waters, and dragging a hundred-kilogram sledge through the harsh wilderness. This article includes a photo gallery.
Methane is a more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide and sediments in some parts of the Arctic are starting to vent significant amounts of methane as their temperatures increase.
Polar bear fossils are not a common find, so information about the bears’ evolution is relatively scarce. Researchers have sequenced the DNA of a Norwegian polar bear fossil, and conclude that the species descended from brown bears, and then evolved notably in the late Pleistocene.
Two groups of people from the Catlin Arctic Survey will be collecting water samples to measure Arctic Ocean acidification. They will also be studying how easily carbon dioxide can travel through sea ice, and the effect of CO2 on marine organisms.
Some media sources suggest that conflicts could arise as countries stake claims for Arctic Ocean resources. An article in the Montreal Gazette explains that cooperation under international law is the more likely result.
Human activities emit mercury into the atmosphere, where it can oxidize and return to Earth’s surface in precipitation. Researchers have found that with the onset of Arctic spring, the mercury-depleted atmosphere adjusts by re-absorbing mercury through isotopic fractionation.
Glaciers in many areas are melting faster and some of them might have an accelerated melt rate caused by increased water temperatures in their associated Fjords.
The Cryosat-2 Earth Explorer satellite was recently transported to its launch area at Baikonur, Kazakhstan. It is being readied for departure, scheduled on February 25, when it will begin its trek to measure fluctuations in polar ice thickness.
Sea level rise and fall has opened and closed the Bering Strait numerous times in the past, affecting ocean circulation and influencing the climate of the Northern Hemisphere.
In this CNN video, meteorologist Jacqui Jeras, explains how the Arctic oscillation and a weak polar jet are contributing to the cold weather being experienced across the entire Northern Hemisphere.
PodCast: David Mech, USGS researcher is using GPS technology to track Brutus, a wolf that lives and leads a pack of at least 11 other adult members in far northern Canada. What do they do during winter, when there is 24 hours of darkness? How far do they wander? You can follow Brutus on David’s blog.
The Central Intelligence Agency of the U.S. uses powerful satellite cameras to gather information. Some of their detailed images (such as images of polar ice) are being declassified and analyzed by scientists to study climate trends.
Water flow from the North Atlantic has a significant effect on the climate of the Arctic Ocean. A color-coded computer model in this article shows where the warm Atlantic water enters the Arctic via the Fram Strait.
A global temperature increase of two degrees may ensure a future sea level rise of 6 to 9 meters. The polar ice sheets are susceptible to significant melting even at this level of warming.
The Earth’s north magnetic pole is currently shifting eastward at a rate of 64 km/year. This article from National Geographic gives a brief summary of the trend.
Shari Gearheard explains how indigenous knowledge can be a valuable contribution to recognizing and documenting climate change in the Arctic. The video accompanies an article on the National Geographic website that describes how native hunters have recognized long term changes in sea ice conditions, wind direction and weather that are of a much finer scale than most scientific observations.
What would happen if two auroras came in contact with one another? Monitoring equipment in the Arctic has captured some surprising footage of aurora collisions and substorms.
A layer of water facilitates the movement of Greenland’s glaciers over the bedrock. It appears that this underlying water is part of a “plumbing system” below the continent.
Snowflakes form differently depending upon temperature and humidity. Travis Knepp of Purdue University creates snow crystals in a controlled environment. These experiments aid in research on Arctic ozone depletion, and help answer the question, “Why are no two snowflakes alike?”
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has an audio slideshow that explores the topic of “Life in the Arctic – After Climate Change”. What will happen to Arctic ecosystems?
Isotopes in a mud core from Lough Monreach, Ireland, show that the Younger Dryas may have occurred very abruptly. When glacial Lake Agassiz flowed into the North Atlantic Ocean almost 13,000 years ago, the “Big Freeze” set in at once, possibly chilling the ocean within mere months. Could a rapid melting of the Greenland ice sheet in current times could produce a similar effect?
“The arctic could potentially alter the Earth’s climate by becoming a possible source of global atmospheric carbon dioxide. The arctic now traps or absorbs up to 25 percent of this gas but climate change could alter that amount.” Quoted from the USGS press release.
“The 20th century is the only period during the past 200 millennia in which aquatic indicators reflect increased warming, despite the declining effect of slow changes in the tilt of the Earth’s axis which, under natural conditions, would lead to climatic cooling.” Quoted from the University at Buffalo press release.
A report from the Energy Information Administration summarizes the current state of oil and gas development in the Arctic Ocean. The large number of shale plays in the United States and other areas will compete strongly with Arctic natural gas and may reduce incentives to drill there.
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