Arctic hazards loom over Blinken on his Northern NATO tour
BERLIN – As the polar ice melts, Russia, already a major Arctic power, wants to make the region its own. China covets a “Polar Silk Road”. And NATO is embracing Finland – and Sweden too, Washington hopes – giving the…
Springing into summer
The seasonal decline in Arctic sea ice extent was moderate through much of May before picking up pace over the last few days of the month. Meanwhile, Antarctic sea ice extent remained far below previous satellite-era record lows for this…
Ice Age Volcano Spewing Methane Discovered on Arctic Seabed
An ancient, methane-spewing volcano has been discovered at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean. The volcano, which lies at the center of a 1,000-foot-wide crater at a depth of 1,300 feet, likely formed as a result of a catastrophic burst…
Equinor’s Arctic LNG Plant to Resume Production
Norway’s Equinor plans to restart production at its Arctic liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Hammerfest on June 8 after it was shut down on May 31 due to a gas leak, the company said in a market message on…
The Northwest Passage in 2023
Prompted by a comment by Tom in the June open thread, the time has evidently come to open the 2023 Northwest Passage passage thread. First of all let’s get our bearings with the help of this map of the area:…
Five Misconceptions in Arctic Geopolitics
The Arctic is popular. Writing about the (geo)political dynamics and challenges in the Arctic region continues to attract journalists, scholars and students alike. However, there are some misconceptions that keep appearing around Arctic geopolitics, regardless of how much research is…
Facts About the Arctic in June 2023
By way of a change, which is allegedly as good as a rest, let’s start the new month with a very pretty and almost cloud free “pseudo-colour” image of the Lena Delta and adjacent areas of the Laptev Sea: “False…
The Rise and Sudden Fall of the Arctic Council
On May 11, 2023, in a much-anticipated ceremony, leaders from eight Arctic states and six Indigenous organizations assembled behind closed doors to witness a transfer of power. At first blush, it was routine Arctic Council business: this forum promoting northern cooperation…
Norway Looks To Ramp Up Exploration In Arctic
The Norwegian government recently asked energy companies to increase their oil and gas exploration in remote areas, such as the Arctic Barents Sea. In 2020, Norway exported 87 percent of its energy production. Norway is expected to offer a record…
Militarizing the Arctic
In the coming decades, Arctic sea ice is expected to melt so much that the region will become traversable much of the year. While environmentally devastating, this will also mean more shipping access, resource extraction, and risk of conflict in…
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