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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Greenland’s Superfast ‘Ice Slides’ Could Be Bad News for Climate Change

July 15, 2019 | Article

Greenland's ice sheet is sliding way more than previously thought, making it more vulnerable to a warming climate, according to a new study.
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Scientists 'Thunderstruck' As Arctic Fox Makes Stunning 2,100-Mile Journey in Just 76 Days

July 02, 2019 | Article

Scientists who tracked the young female were astonished by how fast the little fox traveled from Norway to Canada.
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These Ghostly Blue Clouds Only Appear at Night — And They're Made of Meteors

July 01, 2019 | Article

When ice grabs onto bits of meteor dust high in the atmosphere, it forms a show of light and cloud like no other.
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Under Greenland's Glaciers, Dozens of Pristine, Jewel-Like Lakes Have Been Discovered

June 27, 2019 | Article

Hidden beneath Greenland’s Ice Sheet like an enormous necklace of sparkly blue and oddly shaped beads, scientists have discovered 56 previously unknown and gem-like lakes.
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First-Ever Beluga-Narwhal Hybrid Found in the Arctic

June 20, 2019 | Article

Belugas and narwhals can apparently breed. Scientists have confirmed the only known specimen of beluga-narwhal hybrid.
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Greenland's Summer Melts Have Started Early, and They're Very Bad This Year

June 19, 2019 | Article

Summer doesn't begin for two more days, but oceanographers and climatologists are already sounding the alarm about stunning ice melts going on now in Greenland.
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Arctic Permafrost Is Going Through a Rapid Meltdown — 70 Years Early

June 13, 2019 | Article

It's all happening way faster than anyone expected.
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Canada Makes a Claim to the North Pole

June 07, 2019 | Article

Now, three northern nations are vying to stake their claim to part of the Arctic seafloor, a region chock-full of fossil fuels that lies under thousands of miles of water and ice.
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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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