Latest Arctic Stories
DUBLIN, May 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Three Irish explorers highlight effects of climate change Global wind and solar company, Mainstream Renewable Power today announced its sponsorship of a rowing expedition attempting a world first through the infamous Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic this summer. Three experienced Irish adventurers and one Canadian are attempting to become the first ever people to cross the 3,000 km passage by human power alone in...
LONDON, May 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- With emerging political, economic and diplomatic concerns quickly arising in the Arctic, nations with a stake in the region are now investing heavily in the northern frontier to amend a long-running lack of infrastructure and assets capable of dealing with the rigors of the environment. Recognising the demand for joint force integration, senior representatives from the United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and the North American...
Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online In 2007, Russian explorers dived down below the North Pole in a submersible and planted a national flag to make the point that it had rights to the energy riches of the Arctic. Now, a group of activists planted a "Flag For The Future" in the same area. The move by the environmentalists, backed by Greenpeace, is meant to try and declare the region "a global sanctuary" that is "free from exploitation." The group also planted a...
April Flowers for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online The question of ice-free summers in the Arctic, for most scientists, is not "if," but "when." A new study by two National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists says that "when" is coming sooner than many thought. Already, the Arctic has experienced a loss of thick, multi-year ice, with last September’s extent being less than half the average of 1979-2000. The scientists, James Overland of NOAA’s Pacific...
Harvard researchers are adding statistical nuance to our understanding of how modern and historical temperatures compare. Through developing a statistical model of Arctic temperature and how it relates to instrumental and proxy records derived from trees, ice cores, and lake sediments, Martin Tingley, a research associate in Harvard's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Peter Huybers, Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, have shown that the warmest summers in the last two...
Learn More About Arctic Challenges and Opportunities at the National Press Club Newsmakers Luncheon with Iceland's President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, U.S. and Arctic Partners REYKJAVIK, Iceland, April 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Grimsson will announce a new assembly to promote collaboration among Arctic and international partners. The mission of the Arctic Circle is to convene a diverse group of stakeholders in an annual gathering to facilitate dialogue and build relationships to...
National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (UK) The first study of its kind to calculate the amount of nutrients entering and leaving the Arctic Ocean has been carried out by scientists based at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton. Their results, which are published this month in the Journal of Geophysical Research, show that there is a mismatch between what goes into the Arctic Ocean and what comes out. This is the first study to look at the transport of dissolved inorganic...
[ Watch the Video: An Interesting Year for Arctic Sea Ice ] April Flowers for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online The Arctic Ocean's ice cover shrank to its lowest extent on record last September at the end of the northern hemisphere summer. This continues a long-term trend diminishing the ice to about half the size of the average summertime extent from 1979 to 2000. The sea ice refreezes during the cold and dark Arctic winter, achieving its maximum extent usually in late February or...
Brett Smith for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online As the forces of climate change continue to shape the planet, conservationist groups are focusing on how these trends may affect the viability of different animal species. According to a new report from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), many of the breeding bird species in Alaska will experience a marked change to their populations by 2050. Based on their assessment, the WCS estimates that two species will become "highly"...
redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports - Your Universe Online Rising temperatures in the Arctic will cause the region to become much greener in the near future, claims new research published in Sunday’s edition of the journal Nature Climate Change. According to Jaymi McCann of the Daily Mail, the study concludes that a gradual warming of climate will lead to an increase in trees and shrubs in the Arctic, which could cause wooded areas to increase by as much as 50 percent over the next few...
Latest Arctic Reference Libraries
The Arctic Ocean which is located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the shallowest and smallest of the world’s five major oceanic divisions. The International Hydrographic Organization recognizes it as an ocean, although, some oceanographers consider it as the Arctic Mediterranean Sea or simply, the Arctic Sea, classifying it a Mediterranean sea or an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. Alternatively, the Arctic Ocean can be considered as the northernmost...
Continental arctic air mass is known for its very frigid and dry air. The most common place in the United States to find this air mass is in Alaska. However, in the coldest parts of the winter such as December and January along with early February it is not uncommon for this air mass to invade the Northern part of the United States. This air mass is responsible for bringing with it temps that drop well below zero. Along with the cold temps the air is very dry and if people stay outside in...
Arctic haze is a phenomenon that occurs in the atmosphere at high latitudes in the Arctic due to air pollution. What distinguishes Arctic haze from haze found elsewhere, is the ability of its chemical ingredients to endure in the atmosphere for a longer period of time compared to other pollutants. Due to limited snowfall, rain, or turbulent air to displace pollutants from the polar air in the spring, Arctic haze can continue for more than a month in the northern atmosphere. Arctic haze...
The Common Redpoll (Carduelis flammea), is a species in the finch family. It breeds throughout northern North America and Eurasia. Subspecies of the Common Redpoll include the Arctic Redpoll and Mealy Redpoll. These are common too in the Arctic, Iceland, Greenland, and Baffin Island. They all migrate south into southern Canada, northern United States and most of Eurasia. These birds are remarkably resistant to cold temperatures and winter migration is mainly due to lack of food rather...
The Arctic fox (Alopex lagopus), also known as the polar fox, is a small fox native to cold Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It is common in all three tundra biomes. Although some authorities have suggested placing it in the genus Vulpes, it has long been considered the sole member of the genus Alopex. The Arctic fox has smaller, more rounded ears, a more rounded braincase. It has a slightly shorter and broader muzzle than the red fox. Its feet are furrier than those of other...
