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Articles on Arctic ice

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Terminus of the Recherchebreen glacier in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, about 760 miles from the North Pole. Arterra Picture Library/Alamy

The melting Arctic is a crime scene. The microbes I study have long warned us of this catastrophe – but they are also driving it

To fully understand the extent of climate-related dangers the Arctic – and our planet – is facing, we must focus on organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye.
Rainier winters make life more difficult for Arctic wildlife and the humans who rely on them. Scott Wallace/Getty Image

Arctic Report Card 2022: The Arctic is getting rainier and seasons are shifting, with broad disturbances for people, ecosystems and wildlife

The annual report is also a reminder that what happens in the Arctic affects the rest of the world.
A scientist checks cracks in the Arctic sea ice after a storm (April 2015, N-ICE2015 expedition). Amelie Meyer/NPI

Winter storms are speeding up the loss of Arctic sea ice

Warm summers aren’t the only threat to Arctic ice – increasingly intense winter storms are also weakening and reducing ice cover.
2016’s warm winter meant not enough snow for the start of the Iditarod sled dog race in Anchorage, so it was brought by train from 360 miles north. AP/Rachel D'Oro

In Alaska, everyone’s grappling with climate change

For everyone from traditional hunters to the military, the National Park Service to the oil industry, climate change is the new reality in Alaska. Government, residents and businesses are all trying to adapt.
The Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Louis S. St-Laurent sails past a iceberg in Lancaster Sound in 2008. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

As ice recedes, the Arctic isn’t prepared for more shipping traffic

New shipping opportunities are opening up in the Arctic as sea ice continues to recede. But travel is still dangerous and the region isn’t equipped to deal with more vessel traffic.
An Arctic iceberg, pictured in 2015. This year, ice coverage has reached record lows for the early northern winter. AWeith/Wikimedia Commons

Yes, the Arctic’s freakishly warm winter is due to humans’ climate influence

The end of 2016 has brought balmy Arctic temperatures and record low ice extent for the time of year. It’s a freak event even by modern standards, and climate models point the finger firmly at humans.
Breaking through the ice in Antarctica. Mark Brandon/Flickr

How wind helps Antarctic sea ice grow, even as the Arctic melts

Strong winds linked to climate change and the hole in the ozone layer are driving a steady increase in Antarctic sea ice, even as Arctic levels continue to shrink dramatically, a new report shows. While…

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