The Arctic’s Permafrost-Obsessed Methane Detectives
The Far North is thawing, unleashing clouds of planet-heating gas. Scientists rely on an arsenal of tech to sniff out just how nasty the problem is......»»
Scientists sequence full genome of sea cucumber inhabiting hydrothermal vent
Hydrothermal vents are an unlikely environment for animals to flourish, characterized by rapid changes in temperature and a challenging chemistry: acidic pH, rich in sulfur and methane. Not to mention the high hydrostatic pressure and the darkness of.....»»
Microbial awakening restructures high-latitude food webs as permafrost thaws
Alaska is on the front lines of climate change, experiencing some of the fastest rates of warming of any place in the world. And when temperatures rise in the state's interior—a vast high-latitude region spanning 113 million acres—permafrost ther.....»»
Beyond the sleigh: Reindeer and their bonds with Arctic peoples
The relationship between indigenous peoples in the Arctic region and their herds reveals a rich history and provides clues about how to protect it......»»
Measuring methane intensity is a key step on the path to net zero
After Canada and the United States both announced new policy measures to address oil and gas methane at the COP28 climate summit—just weeks after the EU agreed to extend its methane intensity standards to imported natural gas—it is clear that glo.....»»
New research reveals how to obtain high-quality DNA from marine samples
The oceans are still the most underexplored part of our planet. Diversity of large organisms in the Arctic Ocean has been investigated in many ways, yet research on the diversity of Arctic microorganisms is lacking. One of the problems, apart from in.....»»
Can seabirds hear their way across the ocean? Our research suggests so
Animals cover astonishing distances when they are looking for food. While caribou, reindeer and wolves clock up impressive mileage on land, seabirds are unrivaled in their traveling distances. Arctic terns travel from the Arctic to Antarctica and bac.....»»
As the Arctic warms, its waters are emitting carbon: Study
When it comes to influencing climate change, the world's smallest ocean punches above its weight. It's been estimated that the cold waters of the Arctic absorb as much as 180 million metric tons of carbon per year—more than three times what New Yor.....»»
Permafrost: A ticking time bomb beneath our feet
Nearly a quarter of the Earth's land surface is permanently frozen. These areas, known as permafrost, are found in northern polar regions and at high altitudes. But the permafrost is now starting to thaw—with potentially disastrous consequences for.....»»
Mollusks from polar expeditions reveal new details about the ocean
In the early hours of 30 October 1961, a Russian bomber took off and flew north. The plane was headed for the Novaya Zemlya archipelago in the Russian part of the Arctic. When the pilot saw the islands far below, he released the cargo—a bomb the si.....»»
Scientists use fiber optic cable to study Arctic seafloor permafrost
The Arctic is remote, with often harsh conditions, and its climate is changing rapidly—warming four times faster than the rest of the Earth. This makes studying the Arctic climate both challenging and vital for understanding global climate change......»»
Move over, Blitzen: Geese outpace reindeer impacts on Arctic ecosystems
In the frigid seas halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole, two types of animals browse the palatable vegetation of a high-tundra archipelago, munching on thick moss, cropped grasses, and low-lying shrubs......»»
Seals stay warm and hydrated in the Arctic with larger, more convoluted nasal passages
Arctic seals have evolved many adaptations to cope with their frosty environment—one that you might not immediately think of is the bones in their nasal cavity. Arctic seals have more convoluted nasal passages than seal species that live in milder.....»»
Natural gas is actually migrating under permafrost, and could see methane emissions skyrocket if it escapes
Beneath Svalbard's permafrost, millions of cubic meters of methane are trapped—and scientists have now learned that it can migrate beneath the cold seal of the permafrost and escape. A large-scale escape could create a cycle of warming that would s.....»»
Warmest Arctic summer caused by accelerating climate change
Summer surface air temperatures in 2023 were the warmest ever observed in the Arctic as a result of accelerating human-caused climate change, an official report card published Tuesday said......»»
Indigenous peoples" dissenting views on Arctic drilling fuels debate
Members of Congress agree that the administration needs to consider the concerns of indigenous communities when taking actions on oil and gas leasing in the Arctic. There is just disagreement on whose concerns should be prioritized......»»
Video: Permafrost thaw: A silent menace
Ice is without doubt one of the first casualties of climate change, but the effects of our warming world are not only limited to ice melting on Earth's surface. Ground that has been frozen for thousands of years, called permafrost, is thawing—addin.....»»
California wants farms to capture methane from cow manure. Neighbors say it"s killing them
At a massive dairy farm in the San Joaquin Valley, nearly 14,000 Holstein cows crane their necks through feeding stalls and gnaw leisurely on alfalfa......»»
New study sheds light on how much methane is produced from Arctic lakes and wetlands
When it comes to greenhouse gases, methane is one the biggest contributors. Not only is it massively abundant—it's about 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere......»»
Researchers: Frozen methane under the seabed is thawing as oceans warm, and things are worse than we thought
Buried beneath the oceans surrounding continents is a naturally occurring frozen form of methane and water. Sometimes dubbed "fire-ice" as you can literally set light to it, marine methane hydrate can melt as the climate warms, uncontrollably releasi.....»»
The mysterious "speeding up" glaciers of Svalbard
Spectacular Svalbard sits halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole and is one of the fastest warming places in the Arctic......»»