Thawing Permafrost Could Trigger New Pandemic In the middle of a global pandemic, what else could possibly go wrong? Well, another pandemic. Except this new one could be triggered by bacteria revived from thawing permafrost in the Arctic. Wait back up, is this for real? Sadly yes. During a major skillshare meeting last November in Hannover, Germany, scientists discussed the threat of microbes revived by the […] Industry News Gabrielle Gasser | July 9, 2020 0 Comments
Archaeological Evidence and DNA Show the Ancient Roots of Arctic Sled Dogs A new genetic study published in ScienceMag shows that ancestors of modern sled dogs have worked and lived with humans for over 9,500 years. Researchers from the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences of the University of Copenhagen applied a genomic approach to investigate modern and ancient arctic dogs associating through archaeological evidence of sled technology and a 33,000-year-old Siberian Wolf. […] Brains Sebastian Opazo | July 8, 2020 0 Comments
Arctic ‘Zombie’ Fires Reigniting After Winter Months Record warm temperatures in the Siberian Arctic have led scientists to the discovery of a phenomenon known as ‘zombie fires’. Also known as “holdover fires”, these subterranean fires are the result of previous seasonal wildfires that can persist throughout the winter and reemerge in the spring. With the temperatures in the Arctic winters reaching -58 degrees Fahrenheit, how could it be […] Brains Emily Crofton | June 4, 2020 0 Comments
The Ozone Hole Over the Arctic Right Now is the Biggest Ever Recorded An ozone hole has developed over the Arctic and scientists are saying that it is the biggest such atmospheric opening ever recorded over the planet’s northernmost regions. It’s a rare occurrence that is formed by persistent cold temperatures in the polar region and unusually quiet ozone dynamics, NBC News reports. These factors have caused record depletion of Earth’s protective ozone layer […] Weather WeatherBrains | April 11, 2020 0 Comments
Come Ski The Legendary Icelandic Fjords With SnowBrains in April 2020! Ice Axe Expeditions is proud to announce their next Ski & Sail Expedition. This six-day adventure is geared towards skiers, photographers, and influencers with a common interest: to experience Iceland’s fjord skiing. Related: Trip Report: Skiing Sunny Antarctica With Ice Axe Expeditions 2019 I have been invited to guide with just one goal in mind… to create once in a lifetime […] Offer Miles Clark | February 20, 2020 0 Comments
Mystery of Polar Bear Painted with “T-34” Solved Footage of a polar bear with “T-34” spray-painted on its side was recently shared on social media in Russia. Wildlife experts commented on this baffling video and pointed out the detrimental effects. A scientist at the Institute of Biological Problems of the North, Anatoly Kochnev, said it could take a few weeks for the inscription to wear off. The paint […] Taliana Potts | December 12, 2019 2 Comments
Extreme Snowfall Hindered Plant and Animal Breeding in the Arctic Last Year Extreme snowfall sounds pretty good in the midst of melting ice caps and rising sea levels. However, in Zackenberg, Northeast Greenland animal breeding and plant growth have been prevented by the snow coverage that lasted well into the summer of 2018. The Arctic ecosystem has been closely monitored for almost 20 years. Researchers have compared the unusual snow year of 2018 to […] Industry News Taliana Potts | October 25, 2019 0 Comments
NOAA: The Atmosphere and Arctic Sea Ice: Who’s The Dog, and Who’s The Tail? Written by Tom Di Liberto on Climate.gov In recent years, a popular debate has been occurring within the climate community. No, it’s not whether climate change is occurring and caused by humans. (It is.) Instead, it’s regarding how much of an effect, if any, the rapid warming of Earth’s frozen cake-topper we call the Arctic, and the corresponding reduction in […] Industry News SnowBrains | October 8, 2019 0 Comments
Walrus Attacks and Sinks Russian Navy Vessel in Arctic Waters A walrus attacked and sank a small Russian boat crossing Arctic waters for a reconnaissance mission, sending researchers scrambling to shore. Members from Russia’s Northern Fleet and the Russian Geographical Society barely escaped last week before walruses sank their dinghy, The Barents Observer reported Monday. Related: Arctic Sea Ice is at Second Lowest Summer Minimum Ever Recorded The group was attempting […] SnowBrains | September 25, 2019 0 Comments
Young Arctic Fox Walks Astonishing 2,700-Miles From Norway to Canada in Just 76 Days A young female Arctic fox, less than 1-year old, has walked across the ice from Norway’s Svalbard islands to northern Canada in an epic journey, covering 2,700 miles in 76 days. “The fox’s journey has left scientists speechless,” according to Greenland’s Sermitsiaq newspaper. Researchers at Norway’s Polar Institute fitted the young fox with a GPS tracking device and released her […] SnowBrains | July 8, 2019 0 Comments
Polar Bear Shot Dead for Attacking Cruise Ship Guard A polar bear has been shot dead after it attacked a cruise ship guard on Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, within the Arctic Circle. The guard suffered non-life-threatening head injuries and is said to be in a stable condition. He was assigned to protect tourists who had landed on Svalbard’s northernmost island from the MS Bremen, which is operated by Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. The […] SnowBrains | July 30, 2018 1 Comment
NOAA: 2016’s Extreme Record Arctic Heat would have been Virtually Impossible without Global Warming Author: Rebecca Lindsey In the fall of 2016, the Arctic experienced heat that was so extreme that one expert called it a black swan event. That warmth helped set a new annual temperature record that was double the magnitude of the record set the year before. New NOAA-led research confirms that the event could not have happened without human-caused global […] Weather WeatherBrains | May 11, 2018 0 Comments
Arctic Sea Ice at Second Lowest Levels in 39-Years | Long-Term Retreat Concerning Scientists On March 23, NSIDC released a summary of the sea ice maximum, the second-lowest seasonal maximum in the 39-year satellite record, only slightly below the maximum extent for 2017, according to the NOAA. Arctic sea ice reached its likely 2018 maximum on March 17, the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) reported. The map above shows sea ice concentration on […] Weather WeatherBrains | April 3, 2018 0 Comments
Armed Guards Protect Ship’s Crew from Polar Bears as they Play Soccer on the Arctic Ice You don’t need much to play soccer, just a couple of goal-frames, a ball, and a grassy field, reports Business Insider. Sometimes you don’t even need a field, as the photograph clearly shows. In the photo, KV Svalbard’s crew, formed of Norwegian Navy privates and scientists from the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, can be seen playing soccer on a […] Steven Agar | April 2, 2018 0 Comments
VIDEO: Arctic Sea Ice Shrinking as Global Temperatures Continue to Rise NASA posted this video to YouTube with the following synopsis: “Arctic sea ice has not only been shrinking in surface area in recent years, it’s becoming younger and thinner as well. In this animation, where the ice cover almost looks gelatinous as it pulses through the seasons, cryospheric scientist Dr. Walt Meier of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center describes how […] Weather WeatherBrains | March 8, 2018 0 Comments
The Arctic is Experiencing Record-Breaking High Temperatures | FIFTY Degrees Warmer than Average The Arctic is supposed to be cold, but right now it’s anything but temperatures at the North Pole are reaching a record high, perhaps as much as 35 degrees Fahrenheit for the month of February, which is warmer than the region usually gets during the summer months, reports popularmechanics.com. That data comes from the U.S. Global Forecast System, a computer […] Weather WeatherBrains | March 1, 2018 0 Comments
NOAA: 2017 Arctic Report Card | Extreme Fall Warmth Drove Near-Record Annual Temperatures NOAA: Extreme Fall Warmth Drove Near-Record Annual Temperatures By: Rebecca Lindsey Spring and summer temperatures in the Arctic were cooler in 2017 than they have been in many years this decade, but the annual average surface temperature was still the second highest on record according to the annual issue of NOAA’s Arctic Report Card. This map shows temperature from October 2016-September 2017 […] Weather Guest Author | December 20, 2017 1 Comment
NOAA: 2017 Arctic Report Card | Near Record High Surface Temperatures & Rapid Decline In Sea Ice NOAA: 2017 Arctic Report Card By: NOAA Climate.gov Staff On December 12, 2017, NOAA and its partners released the 2017 issue of the Arctic Report Card at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in New Orleans. Now in its 12th year, the Arctic Report Card is a NOAA-led, peer-reviewed report that brings together the work of scores of scientists from across the […] Weather Guest Author | December 13, 2017 0 Comments
Obama Bans Offshore Drilling in the Arctic: According to Washington post: On November 18th Obama administration banned offshore drilling in the Arctic, setting a likely collision course with President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed to “unleash” new energy production in the United States by rolling back restrictions on oil and gas companies. This means that for the next five years Arctic offshore is removed from Lease Sale Schedule . […] Industry News Claire Weiss | November 28, 2016 0 Comments
Arctic Warming Causing Super Cold Winters for US and UK When talking about the impending winter season with it’s cold spells and snowfall potential, there are two types of people: those who enjoy it and those who can’t wait for winter to be over. If you’re a scientist trying to decipher the cause of recent severe winters, there’s generally been two sides as well. One side believing it’s the result […] Robin Azer | October 30, 2016 0 Comments