The Arctic

The Arctic region of the Earth is defined roughly as the area above 66 degrees north latitude and is largely a vast ocean covered by sea-ice, though that ice is being affected by global warming. The Arctic also includes much of Greenland, which is covered by a massive ice sheet, as well as the frozen tundra of Europe, Asia and North America. It has distinctive plants and animals found only there, such as the polar bear and the Arctic fox. Read below for the latest news and research from and on the Arctic, its ice and the life it supports.

Related Topics: Antarctica, Glaciers, Polar Bears, Climate Change

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Scientists on a Sailboat Just Found Nearly 200,000 Viruses Hiding in Earth's Oceans

April 25, 2019 | Article

The boat, named the Tara, has given scientists an unprecedented, detailed map of viruses in the marine ecosystem.
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Greenland's Ice Sheet Was Growing. Now It's in a Terrifying Decline

April 23, 2019 | Article

Greenland's ice sheet has undergone a stunning reversal in the last 46 years, as a meticulous new study documents.
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Fastest-Thinning Greenland Glacier Threw NASA Scientists for a Loop. It's Actually Growing.

March 27, 2019 | Article

Instead of shrinking, this giant glacier is growing, NASA scientists found.
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Earth's Magnetic Field and Wandering Poles

March 06, 2019 | Reference

Earth's magnetic poles are rather inconsistent.
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Photos: Craters Hidden Beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet

February 12, 2019 | Countdown

Gaping depressions have been discovered lurking beneath the Greenland ice sheet. They are likely meteor impact craters.
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Huge Meteor Left Crater Hidden Beneath Greenland Ice

February 12, 2019 | Article

Scientists have discovered the second-ever meteor impact crater in Greenland, located not far from the first.
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Ominous Cracks Form in the Northern Hemisphere's Longest Floating Glacier

February 07, 2019 | Article

Is Greenland's Petermann Glacier due for another big break?
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Watch the Polar Vortex Cast Its Chill Over North America in This Satellite's-Eye View

February 01, 2019 | Article

Americans across the Midwest and Northeast can agree on one thing — it's really, really cold this week — and a NASA satellite monitoring air temperatures confirms the sentiment.
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North Dakota Will Get Colder Than The North Pole Tonight — Here's Why

January 29, 2019 | Article

A meteorologist explains the science behind the historic weather event hitting the Midwest and Plains right now.
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There Are 'Superbug' Genes in the Arctic. They Definitely Shouldn't Be There.

January 28, 2019 | Article

A "superbug" gene that was first detected in India has now been found thousands of miles away in a remote region of the Arctic.
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