Thick, fluffy snow traps summer’s heat in the top layers of Arctic permafrost even as winter chills the air above. Grazing animals stomp that snow flat.
Arctic
Posted inResearch Spotlights
River Deltas at the Top of the World
The water that filters through river deltas has a large effect on the Arctic Ocean. A new study explores factors that shape Arctic river deltas and how delta form in turn changes water flow.
Posted inScience Updates
A Shared Resource for Studying Extreme Polar Environments
A new community pool of seismic instrumentation will facilitate and advance geologic and cryospheric research in Earth’s ice-covered environments.
Posted inNews
Climate Change Is Intensifying Arctic Ocean Currents
Melting ice means that strong Arctic winds create more energetic currents in the Beaufort Gyre.
Posted inNews
Helping Alaskan Communities Facing Climate Risks
Scientists examine how best to use science to help communities respond to rapid climate change in the Arctic.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Insights from Space: Satellite Observations of Arctic Change
New satellite instruments and data, plus a more comprehensive observing network, are key to increasing our understanding of past and future change in the Arctic Boreal Zone.
Posted inNews
Using Satellites and Supercomputers to Track Arctic Volcanoes
New data sets from the ArcticDEM project help scientists track elevation changes from natural hazards like volcanoes and landslides before, during, and long after the events.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Reconstructing 150 Million Years of Arctic Ocean Climate
A new summary of past Arctic climate conditions gives insight into anthropogenic influences on today’s climate and on the need for future drilling studies to further improve our understanding of the past.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Where Does the Carbon Go When Permafrost Coasts Erode?
Arctic coastlines have not been considered carefully in carbon cycles for long, but new research suggests that eroding permafrost may emit more greenhouse gases than previously thought.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Permafrost Thaws Rapidly as Arctic River Flooding Increases
As climate warms, Arctic rivers carry higher flows and flood earlier in the spring, causing underlying permafrost to thaw rapidly.