Arctic Ocean

A cruise ship in Alaska, similar to the one that will cross the Northwest Passage in August

Cruise Ship Set to Sail the Perilous Northwest Passage

Crystal Cruises will sail a ship with over 1,000 passengers through the legendary—and deadly—Arctic route

Crews abandon their ships during the Great Whaling Disaster of 1871.

Remnants of a Whaling Disaster Have Been Discovered off the Coast of Alaska

A catastrophe wiped out an entire whaling fleet 144 years ago, now researchers have found some of the wrecks' remains

Arctic Explorers Uncover (and Eat) 60-Year-Old Food Stash

Tins of jam and crackers hidden in Greenland’s Arctic desert made for a delicious surprise

Declassified Spy Maps Show Melting Arctic Ice

Maps reveal how climate and politics are heating up in the Arctic

Once Again, Thousands of Walruses Have Been Forced Ashore in Alaska

When the animals can’t find sea ice to rest on, they haul themselves ashore in crowded masses

Russia Might Own the North Pole

Thanks to global warming, Russia has claimed a new ocean in the Arctic

A stone etching on the grave of crewmember Lt. John Irving depicts the dire conditions that the Franklin expedition faced when they reached the Canadian Arctic.

Franklin’s Doomed Arctic Expedition Ended in Gruesome Cannibalism

New bone analysis suggests crew resorted to eating flesh, then marrow

A helicopter drops approximately gallons of water from a “Bambi Bucket” on to the Stetson Creek Fire near Cooper Landing, Alaska, June 17, 2015.

Watch Wildfire Smoke from Alaska and Canada Envelop the Arctic

Here’s why that’s bad

Polar Bears are Eating Dolphins, Probably Thanks to Climate Change

A warmer winter lured a pod of white-beaked dolphins north but then ice trapped them, sealing their fate as a polar bear's meal

A walrus rests on an iceberg in Canada's Hudson Bay.

Inuit Wisdom and Polar Science Are Teaming Up to Save the Walrus

Traditional knowledge and scientific study are helping us begin to understand what a changing Arctic means for the marine mammal

Walruses in Svalbard

It's Hard to Protect Arctic Mammals When We Don’t Know How Many Live There

Only a handful of animal populations are well counted — leaving researchers in the dark about how threatened the others are

In a photo taken on January 3, 2012, Royal Dutch Shell's Kulluk drilling rig sits grounded off the Alaskan coast.

Oil Companies Are Pausing Plans to Drill the Arctic

Drilling the Arctic is hard, and with oil prices flagging, it may not be worth it

A composite chart depicting the Arctic Ocean sea floor.

Now the Danes Have Staked a Claim for the North Pole, Too

The ultimate decision over who controls the North Pole will come down to the United Nations

The Shape of Things to Come, Antarctic Sound, February 2010: "As we sailed with the land to our backs, I saw this bright, jagged iceberg with a dark-blue sea," writes Seaman.

These Photos Capture a Decade of Change at Earth's Poles

From courting penguins to moody icebergs, photojournalist Camille Seaman shares her personal journey through polar habitats

Lose Ice in Alaska, See Temperatures Spike By 7°C

This puts the goal of keeping temperature rises below 2°C to shame

Sealskin clothing, shown here on Aaju Peter, is waterproof, durable, and warm.

To Survive Climate Change, We Should Be More Like the Eskimos

Arctic Studies Center director Bill Fitzhugh says that studying northern cultures can help people adapt to climate change

Thousands of walruses gathered at a beach in Point Lay, Alaska.

35,000 Walruses Are Crowding Onto One Alaskan Beach

Some animals have already been killed on the beach, most likely by stampedes

Russia Is Building a New Military Base in the Arctic

The cold war over the Arctic continues

Sir John Franklin’s Doomed Ship Just Turned Up in the Arctic After 170 Years

The two ships disappeared in 1846 during a British expedition trying to map the Northwest Passage

More Evidence That Arctic Warming Is Behind the Weak Polar Vortex

Scientists lay out how melting sea ice may destabilize the Arctic atmospheric circulation

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