The Arctic
The Arctic (that's the one with polar bears, not penguins) is one of the coldest places on Earth. Its northern latitutde means it receives a lot less sunlight than the equatorial region, leaving it icy and barren. That's not to say there's no life there: as well as the polar bears, there are foxes, reindeer, moose, narwhals, orca and walruses. The Arctic is the forefront of the climate crisis, with icebergs melting and sea levels rising as global temperatures soar.
Polar bears are being poisoned by mercury dumped a century ago
Toxic tides are delivering the dangerous pollutant to animals and people at the top of the world
What are the 10 coldest places on Earth?
You wouldn't want to live there, but bring a coat if you're going to visit these spots – they have recorded the lowest temperatures ever!
Greenland's ice sheet melted at a rate equivalent to 'six Olympic-sized swimming pools every second' last year
Researchers detected unusually low melt in 2017 and 2018, followed by record-high melt in 2019.
null
undefined
Climate change | Arctic heatwave temperatures reach possible all-time high
Average temperatures in Siberia were 10°C above average last month.
'Aggressive' greenhouse gas cuts needed to save polar bears
Without climate measures, 80 per cent of polar bears could disappear by 2100, a study has found.
Climate change | Siberia heatwave ‘effectively impossible’ without human activity
Human activity driving global warming made the prolonged heat from January to June at least 600 times more likely, a study has found.
Dromaeosaurid dinosaurs 'not only lived in the Arctic but thrived there'
The findings are based on a ‘rare’ piece of dinosaur jawbone thought to a juvenile dromaeosaurid dinosaur.
Climate models 'missing half of the melting' in Greenland ice
Unusually clear skies may have led to a record loss of Greenland ice in 2019, researchers say.
Clam shell study issues dire warning over Arctic sea ice melt
Scientists used the shells of quahog clams to help discover how Arctic sea ice has changed over the last 1,000 years.
Greenland ice melt putting 40 million people at greater risk than previously thought
The Arctic region is losing ice faster than expected.
Last year’s extreme snowfall wiped breeding of plants and animals in a region of the Arctic
Findings may offer a peep into the future, where increased climatic variability may push the arctic species to their limits.
Year-long expedition departs for Arctic to study climate change
Experts from several countries including the UK and US will be on board the German icebreaker RV Polarstern for the start of the year-long venture.
Watching the climate change
Mark C. Serreze gives his personal account of what it was like in the early days of studying the Arctic climate and how scientific opinions, including his own, have changed.
Could global ice melt affect the Earth’s tilt?
Climate change is having a big impact on the Earth’s atmosphere, but we wouldn’t worry about a little wobble.
Who really discovered the North Pole?
Two arctic explorers, Robert Peary and Dr Frederick Cook, race to reach the pole: but who is telling porkies?
Could we move polar bears to Antarctica to prevent their extinction?
And you thought your last move was a big one!