Arctic news stories on Newser

The Arctic: The New Cold War?

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:48:15 CDT

To the world's military leaders, the debate over climate change is long over. They are preparing for a new kind of Cold War in the Arctic, anticipating that rising temperatures there will open up a treasure trove of resources, long-dreamed-of sea lanes, and a slew of potential conflicts. By Arctic...

Xena Actress Arrested After 3 Days on Oil Ship

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 08:25:05 CST

Lucy Lawless was arrested today in New Zealand along with five other Greenpeace members, three days after they boarded an oil-drilling ship that had been contracted by Shell. Lawless, aka Xena: Warrior Princess , occupied the vessel to protest its plan to do exploratory drilling off Alaska. "This chapter has ended,...

32K-Year-Old Plant Brought Back to Life

Neal Colgrass — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:17:58 CST

A flower that last bloomed when saber-toothed cats roamed the Earth is once again alive and growing. Russian scientists say they've dug up remnants of a 32,000-year-old plant from Siberia's frozen wasteland and successfully cloned 36 more of them from its fruit tissue, the New York Times reports. Now...

Freshwater 'Bulge' Spotted in Arctic

Mary Papenfuss — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:03:00 CST

Scientists have detected an enormous freshwater "bulge" in the Arctic Ocean. The bulge measures nearly 2,000 cubic miles and has risen some six inches in the last nine years. Researchers speculate that the bulge is the result of strong winds whipping up a clockwise current, raising the water height...

Queen's Cousin: I Cut Off My Toes on Arctic Trip

Neal Colgrass — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 11:56:19 CST

A distant cousin of the queen of England visited Antiques Road Show recently and revealed a personal anecdote—that she had cut off her own toes on an Arctic expedition, the Daily Mail reports. Rosie Stancer, 52, said she was trying to be the first woman to trek to the...

Polar Bear Cannibalism May Be Rising

Rob Quinn — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:19:05 CST

Male polar bears have long been known to prey on cubs and even females, but bear cannibalism is more widespread than earlier thought, and may be on the increase because of climate change, researchers warn. Most previous sightings of bear eating bear involved animals on shore late in the year,...

Arctic Ice Nears Historic Low

Mark Russell — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 06:22:00 CDT

A set of dubious honors for the volume of ice covering the Arctic: It hit a record low in 2010, according to researchers, breaking the 2007 record—and those same scientists say this year may be a record-breaking one, too, reports the Alaska Dispatch . Since researchers began measuring Arctic ice...

Arctic Melting Faster Than Expected

Kevin Spak — Wed, 04 May 2011 11:53:37 CDT

Global sea levels are likely to raise two or three feet more than previously predicted this century, because the Arctic is melting significantly faster than expected, scientists conclude in a new report being presented to international officials today. The report, which examined the past six years' worth of data, predicts...

Arctic Ozone Took 40% Hit This Winter

Polly Davis Doig — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 06:51:46 CDT

The ozone layer above the Arctic withered by 40% this winter, according to the UN's weather agency, a stark increase from the previous seasonal record of 30%. The loss was driven largely by frigid conditions in the stratosphere—though surface temperatures were actually warmer than normal—and lingering chemicals banned...