On Aug. 15, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. It will reportedly be the first time a Russian leader has set foot in Alaska since Russia sold the territory to the U.S. 178 years ago. To mark the 150th anniversar
A comprehensive modeling study shows how subglacial meltwater triggers an additional summer bloom of phytoplankton in Disko Bay. At the same time, the climate-relevant carbon sequestration increases only slightly. Ocean currents around North America and Greenland in a NASA ECCO data visualization. S
Almost a fetish animal for scientists, a star attraction on Arctic cruises and a global climate icon, the polar bear goes far beyond its role as a symbolic species. From Inuit mythology to tales of exploration, from traditional sculpture to contemporary advertising, the polar bear has never ceased t
The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we take a look at new regulations on subantarctic islands for visitors, the solution to a 66-year old Antarctic mystery, and a grim outlook for reindeer populations due to the changing climate.The changi
In Canada’s Yukon, the Tintina Fault has the potential for an earthquake exceeding magnitude 7.5. Dawson City lies dangerously close to the epicentre and could be severely affected by the shaking. The Tintina Fault is barely visible in Yukon’s landscape. Image: created with AI (ChatGPT) A research t
The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we take a look at a new map of Alexander Island, a new Canadian inuit-owned fishing vessel, and a new viral threat for Arctic foxes on Svalbard. The Polar Retrospective is a collaborative effort by the e
DNA analysis of 75,000-year-old bones in Norwegian Arctic caves reveals how ancient animal communities adapted to periods of warming and cooling, providing insights into how modern wildlife might react to current climate change. Samuel Walker, Bournemouth University and Sanne Boessenkool, University
As global warming profoundly transforms Arctic ecosystems, a new study reveals that lakes at high latitudes may be releasing more methane than previously thought. This greenhouse gas, far more potent than CO₂, is produced in the sediments of lakes that have become more biologically productive. A wor
In response to the new geopolitical realities from Russia and China and a divergent USA, key European nations are fundamentally rebuilding their Arctic security through new strategic alliances, policies, and military investments. As the ice melts, a new geopolitical reality is dawning in the High No
The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we take a look at a hidden lake flood beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet, the end of another icebreaker era in Antarctica, and traces of an ancient rift between America and Greenland.The Polar Retrospective
During a winter field mission in February 2025, an international team of researchers was confronted with above-freezing temperatures, persistent rainfall, and widespread melting across the Svalbard archipelago. An anomaly that has become routine in an Arctic where winter, once reliably harsh, is giv
After the strongest earthquake recorded this year near the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula, tsunami warnings were issued from Alaska all the way through the Pacific to New Zealand and even East Antarctica.The red marker shows the site of the earthquake and the Alaskan chain of islands from Attu to the A
The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we take a look at a $17 million contract between the Norwegian Polar Institute and Prinoth, at new insights into the role of ocean tides in triggering iceberg calving in Antarctica, and consequences of w
Following a dramatic decline, Arctic foxes are gradually recovering in northern Europe thanks to targeted conservation efforts. But while their numbers are rising, their genetic diversity isn’t – and targeted interventions are now underway to address the risks of inbreeding. The elegant Arctic foxes
The US icebreaker program is struggling amidst high costs and delays while a Finnish-Canadian consortium could help but is hampered by the current trade policy of the US government. While both Russia and China have stepped up their Arctic policies by also continuing to build new icebreakers and ice-
The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we take a look at the French defense strategy for the Arctic, a new research group investigating gravity waves in the Arctic Ocean and the eruption of a volcano.French LHA Dixmude with snow in a Norwegia
For nearly a thousand years, Greenlandic sled dogs, or Qimmit, have accompanied Inuit communities across the frozen expanses of the Arctic. A recent genetic study reveals the ancient origins, regional diversity, and cultural importance of these four-legged companions A symbol of the Arctic, the sled
While Chinese scientists issue urgent pleas to limit Arctic shipping to protect the region from the environmental impact, Chinese shipping companies plan on sending more and more vessels into the Arctic As Arctic sea ice continues to decline, new shipping routes are opening up, offering potentially
As the Arctic once again attracts military and economic interest, Nunavut reminds Ottawa and the world of a fundamental truth: Canadian sovereignty in the North cannot exist without the Inuit. Gathered in Iqaluit, political leaders, elders, and youth defended a vision rooted in security, culture, an
The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we take a look at ancient permafrost thawing, a change in airline ownership, and the conclusion of Antarctic Treaty meetings without any major declarations.Svalbard airport overview, Image: Fasttailwind
A new study has confirmed that a slice of crust in northern Canada is the oldest on record, solidifying the Arctic region's reputation as a unique window into Earth's fiery birth. The vast, remote landscapes of the global north are a treasure trove for geologists, holding some of the rarest and olde
The more we learn about orcas, the more remarkable they are. These giant dolphins are the ocean’s true apex predator, preying on great white sharks and other lesser predators.Orcas are remarakble in many ways and fascinate everyone. Image: Michael WengerVanessa Pirotta, Macquarie UniversityThey’re v
The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we take a look at an Alaskan senator facing warming state and icy situation in Washington, at the 47th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings, and the impact of leopard seals’ diet. Governmental and non-
Oceanographer Benjamin Rabe plans to study the phenomenon of upwelling of warm water and nutrients already observed at the edges of the Arctic Ocean to see if it will extend towards the North Pole over the next decade. His project is based on the Tara Polar Station and its series of Polaris expediti
