The annual Arctic Report Card charts the rise in rain in northern latitudes and serves as a new “vital sign” of the region’s shifting climate.
Arctic
Glacial Ice Offers Polar Bears a Precarious Climate Refuge
An isolated polar bear population in southeastern Greenland survives in fjords, despite spotty sea ice. But this pocket of bears is not a sign of how the species could be saved.
Underwater Sounds Help Reveal Extent of Glacial Calving
If a glacier calves into the Arctic Ocean, does it make a sound? Some scientists say yes and have devised a clever way to use those sounds to calculate the size of the fallen ice chunks.
The Bottom of the Arctic Is Blooming
Researchers found phytoplankton hidden on the Arctic seafloor, hinting at a cascade of effects on the local ecology and carbon cycle.
Satellites Get First Full-Year View of Arctic Sea Ice Thickness
The AI-based monitoring method may unlock data that could improve shipping safety and climate predictions.
Arctic Glaciers, a Peruvian Volcano, and a Russian Famine
A team studying Russian glaciers found evidence that a volcanic eruption in southern Peru changed the planet’s climate at the beginning of the 17th century.
The Burning Tundra
As wildfires blaze through the Arctic, scientists examine the role of landscape characteristics on wildfire ecosystem responses in northern aquatic ecosystems.
Capturing Ocean Turbulence at the Underbelly of Sea Ice
A specially designed instrument enabled researchers in the Arctic to measure turbulence within 1 meter of the interface where ice meets ocean.
The Long-Lasting Impact of a Nuclear War on the Ocean
Model simulations of the impact of a large-scale nuclear war reveal long lasting effects with much of the ocean not returning to pre-war levels despite the cessation of the initial cooling.
How an Unlikely Friendship Upended Permafrost Myths
“Beautifully long arguments” between an American scientist and a Russian researcher helped clarify several fundamental assumptions about permafrost thaw.