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Immobilization to the atmosphere of only a small fraction of the methane held in East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS) sediments could trigger abrupt climate warming, yet it is believed that sub-sea permafrost acts as a lid to keep this shallow methane reservoir in place. Here, we show that more than 5000 at-sea observations of dissolved methane demonstrates that greater than 80% of ESAS bottom waters and greater than 50% of surface waters are supersaturated with methane regarding to the atmosphere. The current atmospheric venting flux, which is composed of a diffusive component and a gradual ebullition component, is on par with previous estimates of methane venting from the entire World Ocean. Leakage of methane through shallow ESAS waters needs to be considered in interactions between the biogeosphere and a warming Arctic climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors reflect on how a modified Arctic Council, the formalized body for Arctic cooperation, could play a greater role toward strategic policy-relevant arctic science. They suggest anyone with an interest in Arctic science should be able to contribute to it and states social sciences should also be included to help understand how natural systems interact with human systems. They mention scientific data from the Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks and arctic conservation efforts.

The temperature history of the first millennium C.E. is sparsely documented, especially in the Arctic. We present a synthesis of decadally resolved proxy temperature records from poleward of 60°N covering the past 2000 years, which indicates that a pervasive cooling in progress 2000 years ago continued through the Middle Ages and into the Little Ice Age. A 2000-year transient climate simulation with the Community Climate System Model shows the same temperature sensitivity to changes in insolation as does our proxy reconstruction, supporting the inference that this long-term trend was caused by the steady orbitally driven reduction in summer insolation. The cooling trend was reversed during the 20th century, with four of the five warmest decades of our 2000-year-long reconstruction occurring between 1950 and 2000. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the unprecedented logistical challenges and scientific opportunities for governments of the world imposed by the International Polar Year (IPY). IPY is a 2-year research extravaganza that kicked off this month and continues until March 2009. It was cited that Arctic researchers from many nations are forced to rearrange their plans due to the prohibitively expensive tariff imposed in passing through Russia's Exclusive Economic Zone. In October 2006, Russia decided to cut down its tariff by half for foreign vessels which take part of the IPY program. IPY is the fourth in a series of lollapallozas since 1882 and it serves as both administrative umbrella and cheerleader for various research collaborations that countries have pledged to support.

This article details a report in the June 4 edition of "Arctic Science" that discussed the high expenses of research in the Arctic as well as the challenges associated with funding such research.

This article reports on biodiversity in a warmer world. It discusses that there is evidence that 20th-century warming has shifted ranges of temperature and arctic species. Researchers provide an exceptionally thorough example and they take advantage of a well-documented study from a century ago to demonstrate contractions and expansions of elevation range among small mammals in Yosemite National Park, California. It also discusses the conceptual approach to examine climate shifts in tropical ecosystems.

The article reports on the findings of a government report made in 2015 by a committee of the U.S. National Academies to evaluate the United States Antarctic Program. Topics addressed include new goals focusing on ice loss, genomics and radiation studies, comments on the report and its intentions by glaciologist and report author Robin Bell, and the broader organizational culture and conditions of the National Science Foundation's support of the program.

The article reports that the U.S. will begin a two-year stint as chair of the eight-nation group Arctic Council that works to foster cooperation on policy and research in the Arctic region. It states the council was created by Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the U.S. It mentions Admiral Robert Papp is U.S. President Barack Obama's special representative for the Arctic Council and talks about plans to expand marine conservation and take action on climate change.

The article reports on the October 2012 launch of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Arctic research ship Sikuliaq. The ship is designed with the capacity to break through sea ice and contains several oceanographic mapping systems. Other topics include the use of the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Healy for Arctic research, the funding appropriation under the 2009 federal economic stimulus bill, and the planned University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) vessel consortium.

The article discusses the possibility of slowing of the warming rate in the Arctic region. Climate scientists claim that the Arctic might get a temporary reprieve from global warming and the region may also cool down, until the next season enforces the greenhouse once again. According to Arctic researcher James Overland of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, accelerating ice loss in the last decade has been the result of combined natural and man-made warmings.

Informs that international researchers in Russia were detailed by the Russian Federal Security Bureau while attempting to conduct research on the climate in the Arctic Circle. Details of the events before, during, and after their detention and questioning; Response from the United States government; Responses from the scientists involved.

Reports on the Greenland Ice-core Project (GRIP) and the record it has broken for drilling beyond the 2546-meter depth reached by drillers at the Russian Vostok Antarctic research station. Expected depth that bedrock will be hit; Data that they are finding about past climate; Why GRIP is special.

Reports on the present location of a team of Russian and American scientists on board a huge chunk of ice that was drifting north of Antarctica. Have completed their voyage through the Weddell Sea; Early assessment of the data; What they were able to study.

Opinion. Recommends a study of the Arctic's past, to help better predict the greenhouse effect in the future.