Part of the Arctic is nicknamed the “Last Ice Area,” because floating sea ice there is usually so thick that it’s likely to withstand global warming for decades. So, scientists were shocked last summer when there was suddenly enough open water for a ship to pass through. The opening, documented by scientists aboard a German…
New evidence indicates that Arctic areas with the thickest ice today probably melted out every year during the summer for about 1,600 years during the early Holocene (ca. 11.3-9.7k years ago), making the Arctic virtually ice-free. As I argue in my new book, this means that polar bears and other Arctic species are capable of…
The ice once protected the Arctic ocean from threats – but as it melts it exposes the sea to fishing, shipping, mining and pollution. Would special status protect this fragile ecosystem or is it too late?
New research published in the Nature journal suggests that for at least 1,600 years of Earth’s history, the polar ice caps melted every single summer. And the polar bears that lived in these areas survived just fine despite all that seasonal “warming.” It turns out that summer is when conditions are warmer, meaning ice melts, […]
From Polar Bear Science Susan Crockford New evidence indicates that Arctic areas with the thickest ice today probably melted out every year during the summer for about 1,600 years during the early Holocene (ca. 11.3-9.7k years ago), making the Arctic virtually ice-free. As I argue in my new book, this means that polar bears and other Arctic