Why is Arctic ice getting thinner?
It’s difficult to forecast with certainty the speed at which climate change will transform our planet’s northern polar region, however researchers are observing that the ice is thinning rapidly, and models predict that ice-free Arctic summers are on the horizon….
Facts About the Arctic in April 2023
Arctic sea ice extent in early April is singularly unexceptional. Here’s the AWI AMSR2 version: Things start to become more interesting when looking at the third dimension. Here’s the PIOMAS gridded thickness map for March 31st: and the CryoSat-2/SMOS map…
EU Proposes Measures to Block Import of Russian Arctic LNG
Świnoujście LNG import terminal in northwestern Poland near the Polish-German border. (Source: Maciej Margas under CC BY-SA 4.0) After sanctioning the import of most pipeline gas from Russia, the EU is now beginning to target the flow of Russian LNG into…
From polar dawn to dusk
Sunlight has returned to the highest latitudes in the Arctic, while in the Antarctic autumn is settling in. The seasonal decline of Arctic sea ice extent since the March 6 annual maximum has been slow, but daily extent has remained…
Asia-Arctic Diplomacy a Decade Later: What Has Changed?
Ten years ago, five Asian states – China, India, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea – joined the Arctic Council as observers. How have their Arctic policies evolved since then? In 2013, the Arctic Council made the watershed decision to allow…
Arctic shipping and energy on Putin’s agenda with Xi Jinping
Russia is ready to develop the Northern Sea Route with China, Putin told Xi Jinping. Photo: Kremlin Vladimir Putin says Russia is ready to establish a joint Russian-Chinese structure for the development of the Northern Sea Route. Energy, technology and…
Arctic cooperation can continue without Russia
Finland’s Barents Ambassador Jari Vilén is confident that international cooperation in the far northern region must persist on a Nordic platform. “The Russians were dissatisfied and displeased, to put it that way.” Jari Vilén is the top diplomat that leads…
Arctic sea ice maximum at fifth lowest on satellite record
Arctic sea ice has likely reached its maximum extent for the year, at 14.62 million square kilometers (5.64 million square miles) on March 6. The 2023 maximum is the fifth lowest in the 45-year satellite record. NSIDC scientists will present a detailed analysis of…
Facts About the Arctic in March 2023
We’ll come on to the Arctic in a moment, but at more temperate latitudes I am proud to announce that my Cornish alter ego has been officially outed as an “environmental campaigner” by the BBC. Moving pictures of yours truly,…