As forest fires wipe out Canada’s boreal forest, a study highlights the role these fires could play in slowing global warming.At present, over 200 fires are active in central and western Canada. One hundred of these are considered to be out of control. As people continue to be evacuated and Indigeno
The West Antarctic Ice Sheet could reach its tipping point with only minimal additional ocean warming – with long-term consequences for global sea levels. But a small window of time remains to take countermeasures. “With every decade we wait, with every (currently two tenth of a) degree of additiona
Jacqui Stuart, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington and Natalie Robinson, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)As Antarctic sea ice forms later and thinner, a hidden ecosystem is shifting: microalgal diversity is declining, disrupting a key food source for marine
This week's Polar Retrospective takes a look at ancient arctic birds that lived with dinosaurs, AI that helps protect migrating caribou across fragile sea ice, and wildfires in Canada. The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we take a look at
A study highlights the role that penguin droppings play in cloud formation and their potential impact in reducing the effects of global warming.Anyone who has ever been near a penguin colony probably remembers the overwhelming smell that emanates from it. However, it would appear that penguin droppi
Even if humanity succeeds in slowing global temperature rise after temporarily exceeding the Paris climate target and bringing it back below 1.5°C in the long term, the world’s glaciers will continue to shrink for centuries, or even millenia.The Fjortende Julibreen (14th of July Glacier) on Svalbard
In a study published yesterday, scientists warn that the global warming target of +1.5°C is insufficient to protect the vast ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica from melting. They call for a new cooler target quickly. A new landmark review delivers a stark message: the global warming target of +1
The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we take a look at the annual meeting of the French National Committee for Arctic and Antarctic Research, Russia’s push to build a fleet of 130 Arctic vessels to expand trade with China along the Northern
A glacier in West Antarctica is flowing much faster than its neighbor and “stealing” its ice – an important discovery for a better understanding of Antarctica’s contribution to sea level rise.The Crosson and Dotson ice shelves in the Amundsen Sea are among the most rapidly changing ice shelves in We
According to a new study, Arctic fjords could store carbon less effectively in the future as global warming progresses, with potentially far-reaching consequences for the climate.Several glaciers (still) flow directly into the Kongsfjorden on Svalbard, where the research settlement of Ny Ålesund is
Satellite data reveals tiny sea level dips that mark underwater waterfalls – cold, dense water plunging off Antarctica’s continental shelf. These flows help regulate Earth’s climate but are weakening as the planet warms.NASA ICE via Flickr, CC BYBeneath the surface of the Southern Ocean, vast volume
The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we take a look at the breeding tactics of Common eiders on Svalbard, a goodbye video to the directrice of the AWI. The Polar Retrospective is a collaborative effort by the editorial team of polarjournal.
In their recent update, Polar Bears International offers the latest information on the polar bears in the Hudson Bay area. Thanks to the organization’s ‘Polar Bear Tracker’, it is possible to follow some individuals equipped with a tracker and know more about their movements, but also about the rese
The summer of 2024 was the warmest on record in Svalbard – with temperatures no longer meeting the definition of a “polar climate”.Record summer temperatures have a particularly severe impact on glaciers and permafrost in the High Arctic, like here in the Recherchefjord on Svalbard. Photo: Julia Hag
The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we take a look at an agreement signed between Tara and polarjournal.net, enhanced marine protection around South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and a study explaining why the red knots are becom
A polar vessel has just been christened in France, in the port of Lorient. The event was attended by a host of polar experts before the ship set sail for the Arctic, where it will operate north of Svalbard starting this summer. “Tara Polar Station” in its home port of Lorient. Photo: Michael WengerA
The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we take a look at a study examining the routes taken by substances from Siberian rivers to travel across the Arctic ocean and an Ilulissat politician reacts to the Trump administration’s plan.Rivers in t
A new study shows how subglacial water could threaten the stability of the Antarctic ice cap. Which could add more than two metres than currently estimated to global sea levels by 2300. The icy continent might be under a new menace. Photo: Julia HagerBy Chen Zhao and Ben Galton-FenziOne of the bigge
A drone experiment over the Greenland ice sheet has made it possible for the first time to take detailed measurements of water vapor in the atmosphere over Greenland. This new technology could contribute to improving climate models and help to better estimate Greenland’s future contribution to globa
For the first time, researchers investigated an algal bloom on an Antarctic ice cap and discovered an astonishing diversity of microbial life. However, the coloration accelerates the melting. A drone image shows how pigment-rich algae communities give the ice cap of Robert Island in the Antarctic a
The Franco-Italian station is celebrating its twentieth year of operation, perched high above Antarctica. Project manager Patrice Godon tells us about the challenges involved in building the station, from the point of view of polar expertise. Concordia is an observation point of worldwide importance
In Arctic regions, afforestation can accelerate warming rather than slow it down, warns a new study. Instead of planting trees, researchers recommend preserving open tundra and large herbivores. The treeless tundra absorbs significantly less solar radiation than forests. When the open areas are cove
From mapping fjords to studying particles, the Forel research vessel leads multidisciplinary expeditions in the Arctic to better understand the impact of global warming and marine ecosystems. A true floating laboratory that looks like a Swiss Army knife. Designed for coastal environments, the Forel’
An alleged assault on a South African Antarctic station is currently making headlines. Although the phenomenon is rare, it is not exceptional. Isolation, boredom and confinement in a hostile environment can put the nerves of scientific and station personnel to the test. An alleged assault on a South
