New Era for Norwegian Antarctic Research
The framework conditions for Norwegian research in Antarctica are completely changing. The Norwegian summer station, Troll, will be a year-round station, and the airstrip beside Troll will soon accommodate intercontinental flights. This will have enormous consequences for Norwegian research. From February 2005, year-round operations at the... view more... (2004-08-04)
Siberian lakes burp "time-bomb" greenhouse gas
Frozen bubbles in Siberian lakes are releasing methane, a greenhouse gas, at rates that appear to be "... five times higher than previously estimated" and acting as a positive feedback to climate warming, said Katey Walter, in a paper published today in the journal Nature. view more (2006-09-08)
The muskox suffered a loss of genetic diversity at the Pleistocene/Holocene transition
The tundra muskox, one of the few large northern mammals to have survived to the present day, saw its genetic diversity decrease greatly at the end of the Pleistocene period, around 10,000 years ago. view more (2005-10-06)
Walrus Calves Stranded by Melting Sea Ice
Scientists have reported an unprecedented number of unaccompanied and possibly abandoned walrus calves in the Arctic Ocean, where melting sea ice may be forcing mothers to abandon their pups as the mothers follow the rapidly retreating ice edge north. view more (2006-04-14)
Northwest Atlantic Ocean ecosystems experiencing large climate-related changes
Ecosystems along the continental shelf waters of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean—from the Labrador Sea south of Greenland all the way to North Carolina—are experiencing large, rapid changes, report oceanographers funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the Feb. 23, 2007, issue of the journal Science. view more (2007-02-26)
'Cooling down' begins at Svalbard Global Seed Vault
Refrigeration units began pumping chilly air deep into an Arctic mountain cavern today, launching the innovative and critical "cooling down" phase of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in advance of its official opening early next year as a fail-safe repository of the world's vital food crops. view more (2007-11-16)
Movement of Earth's North Magnetic Pole Accelerating Rapidly
After some 400 years of relative stability, Earth's North Magnetic Pole has moved nearly 1,100 kilometers out into the Arctic Ocean during the last century and at its present rate could move from northern Canada to Siberia within the next half-century. view more (2005-12-12)
For toy-like NASA robots in Arctic, ice research is child's play
Several snowmobiles navigated speedily over arctic ice and snow in Alaska's outback in late June. This scene might seem ordinary except that the recently unveiled snowmobiles are unmanned, autonomous, toy-size robots called SnoMotes - the first prototype network of their kind envisioned to rove treacherous areas of the Arctic and Antarctic... view more... (2008-07-16)
Experts meet on need for new rules to govern world's fragile polar regions
A new co-ordinated international set of rules to govern commercial and research activities in both of Earth's polar regions is urgently needed to reflect new environmental realities and to temper pressure building on these highly fragile ecosystems, according to several of the experts convening in Iceland for a UN-affiliated conference marking the... view more... (2008-09-08)
The last stage of an arctic odyssey
The French explorer, Gilles Elka'-m, who left North Cape (Norway) in May 2000, has almost completed the seventh and final stage of his 12,000 km solo trek along the rim of the Arctic Ocean, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, on foot, kayak, skis, by sled pulled by himself or by dogs... with help from ESA. The "Arktika" expedition is... view more... (2004-03-30)
Bad sign for global warming: Thawing permafrost holds vast carbon pool
Permafrost blanketing the northern hemisphere contains more than twice the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, making it a potentially mammoth contributor to global climate change depending on how quickly it thaws. view more (2008-09-04)
Scientists say 'save our seas'
Humans are posing some of the biggest threats yet to Europe's marine environment, according to an international group of leading scientists who have compiled the first ever report covering all of the continent's seas. The report, which spans the Baltic, North, Irish, Black and Mediterranean seas, and other areas of the North East Atlantic, was... view more... (2003-06-17)
Researchers tie crest size to seabirds' suitability as a mate
A newly released study by researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks offers evidence that in one breed of northern seabird, the size of males' feather crests may be more than simple ornamentation. view more (2009-04-17)
The Mechanisms of Atmospheric Nucleation
Aerosol particles are ubiquitous in Earth's atmosphere, influencing the quality of life through their climatic and health effects and by affecting visibility. In recent years, the formation and growth of nanometer-scale particles have been observed in situ in many different atmospheric environments, including urban plumes, clean arctic air, the... view more... (2003-11-06)
Last time carbon dioxide levels were this high: 15 million years ago, scientists report
You would have to go back at least 15 million years to find carbon dioxide levels on Earth as high as they are today, a UCLA scientist and colleagues report Oct. 8 in the online edition of the journal Science. view more (2009-10-09)
ICES advises zero catch on more cod stocks
This Friday, scientists from ICES will release a report giving more strong advice to the European Commission and governments to reduce fishing pressure. In particular, cod stocks in the Kattegat, eastern Baltic and Norwegian coastal cod are all depleted and being overfished and ICES will advise zero catch of cod in these areas for 2005. (The... view more... (2004-06-08)
AWI-Scientist Markus Rex Receives Dobson-Award
For his work on interactions between climate change and the ozone layer, Dr Markus Rex of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (Research branch Potsdam) received the 'Dobson-Award' on May 31, 2004. The Quadrennial Ozone Symposium in Greece was chosen to present the award for the first time. Markus Rex was honoured for his... view more... (2004-06-25)
Why is the North Pole frozen?
Ice has been building up in the Arctic for 2.7 million years. Until now, no-one has been able to prove what mechanism brought about this accumulation of ice. However, a team of international scientists led by Antoni Rosell, a researcher for the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, and... view more... (2005-02-23)
Texas researchers and educators head for Antarctica
It's been more than 100 years since anyone has journeyed to this section of Antarctica's Amundsen Sea, but that is about to change. view more (2007-08-16)
Woods Hole Research Center scientist furthering discussion of soil carbon decomposition
Significantly more carbon is stored in the world's soils than is present in the atmosphere. In a process called a "positive feedback," global warming may stimulate decomposition of soil organic matter, thus releasing heat-trapping carbon dioxide gas to the atmosphere, possibly causing the rate of global warming to increase further. view more (2006-03-09)
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