Arctic Watch

Facts About the Arctic

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    A sled dog in Ilulissat, Greenland. New research is shedding light on the genetics of these animals Inuit use to hunt and travel with. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images) Photo: (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
    Habitat

    Study explores ties between Greenland sled dogs and arctic wolves

    Inuit hunters in North Greenland deliberately crossbred Greenland sled dogs with Arctic wolves, in order to create stronger and more capable dogs for Arctic hunting,

    Posted on Editor
    A new type of non-browning apples, Arctic Gala, has been approved in the U.S. The Arctic variety was created by Summerland orchardist Neal Carter. sun
    Industry

    Fourth non-browning Arctic apple, made in Summerland, gets FDA approval

    Researchers created the Arctic variety through a form of genetic engineering which involves the enzyme responsible for browning in apples being essentially ‘turned off’.

    Posted on Editor
    Figure 19. Observed Eurasian snow cover extent through 6 October 2024. Image source: https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/smcd/emb/snow/HTML/snow_extent_monitor.html
    Analysis

    Arctic Oscillation and Polar Vortex Analysis and Forecasts

    This analysis is intended to provide researchers
    and practitioners real-time insights on one of North America’s and Europe’s leading
    drivers for extreme and persistent temperature patterns.

    Posted on Editor
    Black-legged kittiwakes migrate from southerly latitudes to the Arctic, where they introduce forever chemicals into the food chain. Photo by Ashley Cooper pics/Alamy Stock Photo
    Habitat

    Migrating Seabirds Are Bringing Forever Chemicals Into the Arctic

    New research shows how toxic chemicals hitch a ride with seabirds flying from southern latitudes to the Arctic.

    Posted on Editor
    ARCTIC OCEAN, AK – JULY 29: Ice floes surround the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy in the Arctic Ocean on July 29, 2017. The cutter is the largest icebreaker in the Coast Guard and serves as a platform for scientific reseach. (Photo by Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
    Cooperation

    The melting fortress: The United States, Canada, and the race against time in the Arctic

    For years, Moscow has prioritized the Arctic as a critical pillar of its national security, opening or refurbishing over 50 military bases and scaling up military operations across the region.

    Posted on Editor
    Analysis

    Facts About the Arctic in October 2024

    The JAXA extent graph is currently not updating, so let’s begin this month with the latest AMSR2 sea ice concentration map from the Alfred Wegener Institute.

    Posted on Editor
    Bern will be a hotspot for Arctic enthusiasts this fall. A series of exhibitions, events and lectures will shed light on the fascinating yet endangered world of the far north. (Photo: Wikimedia, Daniel Kraft – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0)
    Cooperation

    The Arctic in Switzerland’s capital

    The Polar Retrospective looks at stories of the past week that are related to the Arctic and Antarctic and focuses on one or more aspects.

    Posted on Editor
    A rocky landscape in Teriberka, Oblast Murmansk in Russia. Photo: Evgeny Matveev
    Industry

    The Triangle of Extraction in the Kola Peninsula

    As of September 2024, it has been two years and seven months since Russia escalated its aggression in Ukraine into a full-scale invasion.

    Posted on Editor
    Map: Arto Vitikka / Arctic Centre, University of Lapland. Source: NSIDC, Multisensor Analyzed Sea Ice Extent - Northern Hemisphere. You may use the map freely provided that the sources are mentioned.
    Climate

    2024 Antarctic sea ice maximum extent finishes at second lowest

    On September 19, Antarctic sea ice likely reached its annual maximum extent of 17.16 million square kilometers (6.63 million square miles). The 2024 maximum is the second lowest in the 46-year satellite record above only 2023.

    Posted on Editor