Arctic

Thinning Arctic sea ice near Pituffik, Greenland, as captured in July 2022 

Arctic Could Be Sea Ice-Free in the Summer by the 2030s

A new study estimates climate change will lead to unprecedented melting in the Arctic a decade earlier than previously projected

Paleontologists discovered Oda's remarkably intact fossilized skeleton in Svalbard in 2008.

Unraveling the Mysteries of Oda the Ichthyosaur

Paleontologists used X-rays to identify the 240-million-year-old creature's flattened and fossilized remains

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is located in the Norwegian Arctic on the remote island of Spitsbergen.

Take a Virtual Tour of the 'Doomsday' Seed Vault

The impressive depository carefully preserves over one million seed samples in its Arctic location

Thor rests in Scarborough Harbor in England on December 31, 2022.

The Unusual European Journey of Thor the Walrus

It's rare to see one of these massive marine mammals in Western Europe, but Thor spent several months delighting crowds in multiple countries

Wind gusts of up to 128 miles per hour pummeled Mount Washington in New Hampshire over the weekend.

The Wind Chill Hit Minus 108 at New Hampshire’s Mount Washington

The 6,288-foot summit endured record-breaking conditions brought by an Arctic air mass

An artist’s reconstruction of Ignacius dawsonae surviving in the warm but dark forests of Ellesmere Island

Primate-Like Critters Survived in the Arctic When It Was a Lush, Warm Swamp

Even as darkness gripped the forests for months, two small species made it home

Researchers are using novel technologies to study polar bears, which live in the rapidly warming Arctic.

Five Revolutionary Technologies Helping Scientists Study Polar Bears

As climate change threatens the charismatic creatures, scientists are embracing innovations to help them understand and protect the bears

Archaeologists used a remotely operated vehicle called Deep Trekker to explore the H.M.S. Erebus site.

Archaeologists Recover 275 Artifacts From Mysterious Arctic Shipwreck

Explorer John Franklin and his 128 crew members disappeared while searching for the Northwest Passage in the 1840s

The new local celebrity of Cypress, California, perches on a rooftop.

A Rare Snowy Owl Is Captivating Southern California

How the Arctic bird ended up among palm trees remains a mystery

A beaver relaxes in water in Anchorage, Alaska. `

As the Arctic Warms, Beavers Move In

Scientists are beginning to study the impacts of beaver dams on the tundra

Over the past 43 years, the Arctic has warmed nearly four times faster than the rest of the world. 

Scientists Revive 48,500-Year-Old Virus, Setting World Record

As temperatures rise because of climate change, melting permafrost could cause dormant diseases to re-emerge, researchers warn

Polar bears are back in Churchill, Manitoba.

Polar Bears Are Gathering in Canada—and You Can Watch Them Live

Bears return to Churchill, Manitoba, every autumn to await the formation of sea ice on the Hudson Bay

Endurance immobilized in pack ice, as captured by crew photographer Frank Hurley in 1915

Wreck of Shackleton's 'Endurance' May 'Decay Out of Existence'

The recently discovered vessel is vulnerable on the seafloor, but raising it from the depths comes with unique challenges

A variegated snailfish (Liparis gibbus)

This Arctic Snailfish Is Loaded With Antifreeze Proteins

But climate change could threaten these cold-adapted fish, scientists say

A polar bear mom and cub wander near the quarry on the outskirts of Churchill. 

As Arctic Temperatures Rise, Polar Bears Are Eating More Garbage

A new paper warns that a growing reliance on trash is leading to more human-bear conflict

Footage of the beluga whales is captured by the beluga research vessel, Delphi, which uses two cameras, one underwater and one above deck to observe 55,000 beluga whales migrate to the Hudson Bay's shallow waters.

Watch Thousands of Beluga Whales Migrate From the Arctic

Two webcams give a front-row seat to the whales' daily activities

A polar bear on glacial ice in southeast Greenland. 

A Clever Population of Polar Bears Survives on Glacial Ice in Greenland

The genetically distinct group of predators uses calved ice to hunt seals when the sea ice has melted

As the climate changes, polar bears are increasingly coming into contact with people.

Researchers Develop a 'Bear-Dar' That Warns Humans of Approaching Polar Bears

The artificial intelligence-powered radar system is needed as climate change brings the animals closer to towns

Male Svalbard walruses cluster by the shore. Each weighs an average of about 3,000 pounds and is up to ten feet long.

A Welcome Comeback for Norway's Walruses

A hunting ban has fostered the return of a nearly extinct species

Researchers discovered the wreck of Ernest Shackleton's Endurance, the team announced this week. The ship was last seen by Shackleton's crew in 1915 before it slipped under the icy surface. 

Wreck of Shackleton's 'Endurance' Discovered in Icy Antarctic Depths

Researchers captured stunning photographs of the century-old wreck, still intact almost two miles beneath the waters of the Weddell Sea

Page 2 of 7