Arctic sea ice Archives - State of the Planet

charts showing decline in sea ice under different emissions scenarios

Report Released at COP27 Gives a ‘Terminal Diagnosis’ for Summer Sea Ice

The COP27 State of the Cryosphere 2022 Report has stated that summer sea ice will melt completely, likely before 2050. This outcome is deemed “inevitable.”

by |November 7, 2022
polar bear on sea ice

During Low-Ice Seasons, Some Polar Bears Are Turning to Glacier Ice

As warming temperatures melt Arctic sea ice, glaciers act as supplemental habitat for a group of southeast Greenland polar bears looking to hunt during the low-ice season.

by |July 29, 2022
A polar bear with its cub.

You Asked: When Will Polar Bears Go Extinct?

A recent study provides a rough timeline, but there’s still time to save them if we cut our carbon emissions.

by Robert Newton |November 30, 2021
yutian wu headshot

Center for Climate and Life Names Yutian Wu Recipient of 2018 Fellowship

Yutian Wu, an atmospheric scientist seeking to understand how the rapid decline of Arctic sea ice will impact North American weather extremes, is the Center’s newest Fellow.

by |June 18, 2018
taking samples of glacial erratic in greenland

Will Loss of Arctic Sea Ice Cause More ‘Snow on Ice’ in Greenland?

Scientists are collecting lake sediment, rock, water and plant samples to tease apart linkages between Arctic sea ice, atmospheric uptake, and changes in snowfall on the Greenland Ice Sheet.

by |March 28, 2018

Under the Sea Ice, Behold the Ancient Arctic Jellyfish

A video reveals mature jellyfish under the Arctic sea ice, where they aren’t supposed to be.

by |October 23, 2017

As Climate Stirs Arctic Sea Ice Faster, Pollution Tags Along

A warming climate is not just melting the Arctic’s sea ice; it is stirring the remaining ice faster, increasing the odds that ice-rafted pollution will foul a neighboring country’s waters, says a new study.

by |June 27, 2017

Scouring Arctic for Traces of Fukushima and Cosmic Rays

Sounds like the basis for a great scifi thriller…”scientists scour Arctic, hunting for traces of nuclear fallout and ejections from cosmic ray impacts”. In reality this thriller theme is the actual core of the GEOTRACES mission.

Moving into the Realm of the Polar Bear

When we venture into the Arctic for research for most of us there is the lingering hope that a polar bear will appear on our watch; at least as long as we are safely outside of its reach.

by |August 24, 2015

Studies Find Climate Change to Disrupt Antarctic and Tropical Ecosystems

A recent study finds that West Antarctica’s ecosystem is highly correlated to its climate. As a result, climate change will have a negative impact on its ecological relationships, from plankton to penguins. Antarctica isn’t alone – climate change will also affect tropical ocean ecosystems by causing mass coral bleaching.

by |August 14, 2014