Arctic

A Russian expedition through the East Siberian Sea has uncovered fountains of methane bubbles in concentrations never seen before.

July 2019 has been found to be the hottest month ever recorded, which won’t surprise anybody who sweated through the heat wave this summer. This continues a long-running upwards trend, with the first six months of the year tied for second hottest and sea ice at an all-time low at both poles.

​​One disconcerting consequence of our huge plastic pollution problem is that we really have no idea where the stuff can end up. The latest locale to surprise scientists looking into such matters is the Arctic, who say that snowfall there is bringing tiny fragments of plastic along for the ride.​

​​In the face of climate change, reindeer are resorting to eating kelp seaweed, according to new research. The creatures in question are Svalbard reindeer, a sub-species of wild reindeer.

​The Arctic Ocean could experience an ice-free summer at some time in the next 20 years, according to a newly-published study. The thawing is due to a combination of a natural warming phase, coupled with the effects of human-induced climate change.

Scientists at the US NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) bureau have had to update its World Magnetic Model (WMM) almost a year early because the Earth's north magnetic pole is moving faster than predicted, which could affect global navigation.

Researchers have revealed the discovery of antibiotic-resistant genes in remote Arctic soil samples. The genes in question were only first identified a few years ago and have rapidly spread across 100 countries, into areas thousands of miles away with almost no human presence.

NASA's Operation IceBridge is currently gathering measurements of Antarctic land and sea ice. The data it gathers will be compared to measurements from the newly orbiting ICESat-2, while the images captured provide a breathtaking look in and around the frozen continent.

The insidious​ spread of microplastics through our environment is something that we really don't know enough about. Researchers have now found unexpected quantities of the material lodged in Arctic sea ice, shedding new light on how they move through the ocean.

When you have water seeping into a doomsday facility built to shore up food supplies for the future, well, that's hardly ideal. But such breaches should be a thing of the past, with authorities overseeing the Svalbard Global Seed Vault planning a multi-million dollar overhaul of the structure. ​

​The firm behind Europe's first underwater restaurant has shared designs for an energy-positive hotel in the Arctic Circle, the first of its kind. Snøhetta's sustainable Svart hotel takes advantage of its spectacular surroundings by hosting guests in a ring-shaped structure with panoramic views.

​​There are lots of cool ways to check out the magnificent Northern Lights, but they might not come any cooler than Sweden's soon-to-be opened Arctic Bath, a sister retreat to the country's Treehouse hotel.