A promising method for evaluating Arctic precipitation predicts retreating sea ice will increase snow and rainfall in the Arctic and counteract some of global climate change's effects regionally.
Arctic
Posted inScience Updates
Sounding the Northern Seas
A new compilation of underwater terrain provides the most up-to-date mapping of portions of the western Arctic and North Pacific.
Posted inNews
Giant Balls of Bacteria Pile Up on Arctic Lake Beds, Ooze Toxin
Researchers have found cyanobacteria colonies as big as softballs thriving unexpectedly on shallow Greenland lake bottoms, exuding liver-damaging microcystin. Locals dubbed them "sea tomatoes."
Posted inNews
Arctic Report Card Highlights Profound Regional Changes
The annual assessment focuses on changes to sea ice, snow cover, temperature, and other indicators. Scientists say that changes in the Arctic also affect climate globally.
Posted inNews
Ships Bring More Than Cargo to Arctic Waters
A probe of ballast water in ships at an Arctic port finds hitchhiking organisms that polar warming could allow to invade the region's ecosystems in less than 40 years.
Posted inNews
Obama Uses Alaska Tour to Focus on Climate Change
In speeches and planned visits to a threatened village and a receding glacier, President Obama makes the case that global warming is happening now and warrants immediate action.
Posted inScience Updates
Small Rivers Could Have Big Impact on Arctic Ocean
The Mackenzie River carries the bulk of freshwater flow from North America's tundra to the North Atlantic. But what about the effects of smaller rivers from Canada's Arctic islands?
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Simulating a Warmer, Drier Arctic
Field experiments examine the effect of rising temperatures and drying soils on carbon dynamics in the Arctic.
Posted inFeatures
Improving Predictions of Arctic Sea Ice Extent
Scientists in the Sea Ice Prediction Network share and discuss their user-oriented forecasts of seasonal sea ice in a changing Arctic.
Posted inNews
U.S. Goals for Arctic Council Include Focus on Climate Change
As chair of the Arctic Council, the United States is prioritizing climate change and ocean issues and improving the conditions for Arctic communities.