Arctic

The Canadian Museum of Nature has announced the identification of a previously unknown, extinct rhinoceros species from the High Arctic.

Russia’s Icebreaker Program under Pressure

Russia, once a global leader in icebreaker construction, is facing a potential strategic setback.

Cryopeg: Liquid water hidden in permafrost

Cryopegs are pockets of salty liquid water in permafrost where microbes survive, revealing life’s resilience and hints of life beyond Earth.

Arctic Diatoms Glide at Record-Low Temperatures

Arctic ice diatoms can move through ice down to −15 °C, revealing remarkable adaptations that help them survive and thrive in polar ecosystems.

New Polarstern Build: Model Successfully Passes Ice Tests

Significant progress has been made in the construction of the German research icebreaker “Polarstern”: A scale model of the future vessel has successfully passed its final tests in the ice tank.

Salomon August Andrée – The Daredevil in the Balloon

Greta Paulsdottir

On foot, by sled, or by ship, many methods had already been tried to reach the North Pole.

Sveagruva Opens Doors to Science

Sveagruva, a historic mining settlement, is now a research base giving UNIS scientists unprecedented access to study eastern Svalbard’s glaciers, geology, and ecosystems.

Putin’s Prestige Submarine Back in Service

The return of the strategic nuclear submarine “Karelia” to active service marks a new phase in the expansion of Russia’s nuclear naval forces in the Arctic.

Camp Century – City Under the Ice

Camp Century looks like something out of a spy movie: a city beneath the ice, hidden in the Arctic.

Rising Arctic Shipping Activity

New data from the Arctic Council shows a significant rise in vessel traffic, with nearly double the distance sailed by vessels since 2013.

Knut Rasmussen – The do-gooder from Greenland

Greta Paulsdottir

The exploration of the polar regions has produced heroes whose achievements we remember with reverence.

Warming of the Barents Sea Threatens Fish Stocks

A significant rise in temperatures in the Barents Sea is endangering the spawning grounds and food supply of key fish species.

Cape Town Agreement Boosts Arctic Safety

The Cape Town Agreement, entering into force in 2027, sets new safety standards for fishing vessels reducing risks and pollution in Arctic waters.

Climate Change Reduces Radiation Risk of the “Komsomolets”

A recent study examines how climate change affects the potential spread of radioactive substances from the sunken Soviet nuclear submarine ‘Komsomolets’.

Trappers Trail 2026: Svalbard’s Sled Dog Race

Trappers Trail 2026 brought sled dogs and mushers together for a weekend of racing, community spirit, and Arctic adventure on Svalbard.

Polar Bear Shot in Svalbard: Investigation Underway

A polar bear was shot in Agardhbukta, Svalbard, on 21 March, and the incident is currently under police investigation.

The Sourtoe Cocktail: Dawson City’s Most Bizarre Drink

In Dawson City, Yukon, adventurous drinkers can join the Sourtoe Cocktail Club by downing a shot containing a real dehydrated human toe.

Heatwaves Linked to Barents Sea Ice Loss

Barents Sea ice loss is driving simultaneous heatwaves in Europe and East Asia, showing how Arctic changes affect distant weather.

U.S. Coast Guard Orders Five Icebreakers

The American shipbuilder Davie Defense has received a contract from the United States Coast Guard (USCG) for the construction of five Arctic Security Cutters (ASCs).

Russia issues missile warnings north of Norway

Russia issued two missile warnings in the Barents Sea north of Norway in recent weeks, including one during NATO’s Cold Response Arctic exercise.

Improved Real-Time Arctic Sea Ice Predictions

A new study reveals significant advancements in predicting Arctic sea ice in real-time.

Arctic Fires as a Climate Warning Signal

Wildfires are increasingly sweeping across regions of the Arctic that were long considered too cold and too wet for large-scale fires.

Longyearbyen Celebrates International Women’s Day

On March 8th, the community in Longyearbyen gathered at the Svalbard Museum to celebrate International Women’s Day, with speeches, a discussion panel, and music from a local choir.

Greeting the Sun in Longyearbyen: Solfestuka 2026

On March 8th, the people of Longyearbyen came together to celebrate the annual return of the sun, a cherished moment after the long polar night.

Sunken Nuclear Waste Legacy Sites in the Arctic Located

Scientists located sunken vessels containing radioactive waste during an expedition with the research ship Akademik Ioffe in the Barents and Kara Seas.

The Svalbard Rock Ptarmigan: A Master of Camouflage

The Svalbard rock ptarmigan is a master of camouflage in the Arctic, adapting its plumage to blend seamlessly with the snowy landscapes.

Climate Change Drives Walruses Northward

The Arctic is warming faster than any other region on Earth. What appears in scientific diagrams as a simple temperature curve represents a profound upheaval for the animals of the North. The fate of the Pacific walrus is particularly striking.

Trade Secret: Arctic Premiere Sheds Light on Polar Bear Fur Trade

Lisa Scherk

Last Friday, on International Polar Bear Day, Trade Secret had its Arctic premiere in Longyearbyen, Svalbard.

Why Caribou Choose New Routes Every Year

Caribou use collective experience to flexibly adapt their migrations to changing winter conditions.

Largest oil field discovered on Yamal in 30 years

In the Arctic zone of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Gazprom Neft has discovered one of the most significant oil fields of the past 30 years.

First Seed Deposit of 2026 at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault carried out its first deposit event of 2026 this week.

15 New Dogs for the Sirius Sled Patrol

The Sirius Sled Patrol welcomed new Greenlandic sled dogs into service last year.

Plan to Protect Polar Bears Adopted Through 2028

The five countries in which polar bears are native have agreed on a new international action plan to protect the species.

4,500 Years Ago: Greenland’s First Seafarers

The earliest inhabitants of Greenland already possessed advanced maritime skills.

When Light Guides the Hunt – How Ringed Seals Adapt Their Diving Rhythm to the Arctic

In the Arctic Ocean, survival is determined not only by ice cover, but also by light.

Greenland under Tectonic Stress

The rapid loss of ice masses is not only transforming Greenland’s cryosphere, it is increasingly affecting the island’s geodynamics.

Between Ice and the Future: Polar Bears in Svalbard

Climate change is hitting the Arctic particularly hard. Around the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, the annually ice-free period in the Barents Sea has lengthened dramatically since the 1980s.

Permafrost in Drylands as a Source of Methane

Permafrost—permanently frozen ground in the coldest regions of the Earth—has stored large amounts of organic carbon from dead plants and animals for thousands of years.

The High Arctic experiences a mild January

While large parts of Scandinavia, northwestern Russia, and Siberia experienced their coldest January in many years, the High North revealed a very different side.

Where the sea has completely changed

An extraordinary heat event in 2003 profoundly and permanently changed the marine ecosystem off Greenland.

How Polar Bears Regulate Their Energy Balance

An adult male polar bear can lose or gain up to 60 kilograms of body weight within just a few days - an amount equivalent to the body weight of an average adult human.

Positive trend – fewer PFAS in whales

There is good news from environmental research: the pollution of the oceans with so-called PFAS chemicals appears to be declining.

Life and Extinction of Ice Age Megafauna

With the end of the last Ice Age, not only did glaciers and ice sheets melt away. One of the most impressive animal communities in Earth’s history also vanished.

Book Presentation: On the Essence of Ice

Stephan Fürnrohr

The fleeting beauty of Arctic ice: the impressive large-format photo book "On the Essence of Ice" tells the story of the life cycle of ice through epic visual sequences.

Polar Research in Focus: Monaco Polar Symposium 2026

From 25 to 27 February 2026, the Monaco Polar Symposium will bring together leading scientists, political decision-makers, and institutions at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco.

Woolly rhinoceros was the wolf’s last meal

It was an extraordinary chain of circumstances that allowed paleontologists a unique glimpse into the past.

WEF Davos: Trump halts planned tariffs after talks on Greenland

Following Donald Trump’s appearance in Davos, there was an immediate political and economic reaction both in Europe and within the transatlantic alliance.

New UN High Seas Agreement: What Opportunities Does It Offer for the Polar Regions?

Lisa Scherk

On January 17, 2026, the BBNJ Agreement of the United Nations (Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction) entered into force.

Strongest solar storm in over 20 years hits Earth

Northern Lights over Zurich – for Mike Jakob, it was a magical moment to witness the usually Arctic phenomenon in his own sky.

Environmental and Climate Problems in the Arctic