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CHRIS TANNER KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE A BAD YEAR. Only a fraction of the usual spring rains had fallen on his farm in northwestern Kansas and the summer [...]

The present article provides a brief introduction to the first comprehensive scholarly account in English of the history of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) from the earliest exploration to the first decades of the 21st century. It was published in October 2022 under the title “From Northeast Passage to Northern Sea Route. A History of the waterway North of Eurasia” by Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden, The Netherlands. This introduction touches on a few important issues that are discussed in the volume, which is written by a team of Russian, Norwegian, Dutch and British historians and political scientists. The first stage of this project was carried through in the 1990s, within the framework of INSROP (The International Northern Sea Route Programme (1993–1999)), which was conducted by the Fridtjof Nansen Institute in Oslo. As a result of their efforts four working papers appeared on the history of NSR. In the end a decision was made to develop the topic further into a collective monograph. This second stage of the project, however, started only many years later, in 2015, and was executed in the course of seven years, now under the leadership of the UiT  The Arctic University of Norway. In the present article you will find information about the contents and direction of the monograph, as well as a small sample from the book, chosen from a multitude of other themes, for the simple reason that it is relevant to the recent commemoration of 150th anniversary of Franz Josef Land’s discovery (1873–2023).

INTRODUCTION. The Arctic is a unique marine and terrestrial ecosystem. However, the Arctic region is currently experiencing enormous environmental stress. This is due to the following factors. The first factor is the ongoing climate change on the planet as a whole, which is most clearly seen in the Arctic. Researchers claim that some species of flora and fauna are threatened with extinction. For example, the polar bear, the largest specie in the Arctic trophic chain, is currently experiencing great difficulties in finding food due to the abundant melting of glaciers and, as a result, the reduction of its habitat. Global warming is also causing changes in habitats and migration routes not only for Arctic species, but also for other species that have never climbed so high to the north. Nowadays, local fishermen sometimes catch species of fish that have never been seen in Arctic waters before. Cases of Pacific salmon entering the Atlantic Ocean through the Arctic seas have also been recorded. There is another problem related to the climate factor. For many years, a huge amount of toxic waste has been stored in the Arctic coastal areas. Due to the melting of permafrost, pollutants enter the marine ecosystem, accumulate in marine biota and as a result end up on our table. The second factor is the increased anthropogenic impact due to both climate change and the Arctic political strategies of several states at once. The development of the Northern Sea Route (NSR), the increase in the intensity of navigation, exploration and extraction of natural resources, construction of infrastructure facilities and other human activities have a negative impact on the environment. The Arctic ecosystem is facing an increase in production and consumption waste [Kallenborn, Brorstrom-Lunden, Reiersen, Wilson 2018:33001; Jaskolski, Pawlowski, Strzelecki, Zagorski, Lane 2018:2011], noise [Quijano, Hannay, Austin 2019:1228; Stevenson, Davies, Huntington, Sheard 2019:83; Kyhn, Sveegaard, Tougaard 2014:424], light [Ludvigsen, Berge, Geoffroy, Cohen, De La Torre, Nornes, Singh, Sorensen, Daase, Johnsen 2018; Bennie, Duffy, Davies, Correa-Cano, Gaston 2015:2715], vibration, temperature, chemical and biological pollution. The risk of man-made accidents and catastrophes increases, which can lead to even more dangerous consequences.MATERIALS AND METHODS. We have studied and analyzed international agreements and other documents on the protection of the Arctic marine environment. The texts of these documents were taken for analysis on the official pages on the Internet. Such resources include, for example, the official website of the United Nations Organization (UN), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), etc. Work with Russian legal acts included access to such portals as the official website of the Government of the Russian Federation, the Administration of the Northern Sea Route, the ConsultantPlus Legal Reference System, etc. The international documents were divided into groups, which are presented in a separate table. This made it possible to structure the work, avoid long lists in the text and focus on the most important aspects of the topic under consideration. The research is also based on published works of experts in the field of International law, law of the sea, environmental law, political science, environmental science and other fields of knowledge. Web of Science (webofknowledge. com), Russian scientific electronic library (elibrary. ru), Researchgate (researchgate.net) and other systems became the resources for working with literature. The author also studied law enforcement practice, trends in the development of scientific research in the region, as well as some political processes that are somehow related to the modern legal regulation of marine environment protection in the Arctic. The term “Arctic states” is used in this article as it is given in the [Vylegzhanin 2013]. The term “coastal States” is used in this article as it is given in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.RESEARCH RESULTS. As a result of ongoing climate changes on the planet, as well as due to increased anthropogenic pressure on the region, the fragile ecosystem of the Arctic is currently subject to various types of pollution (noise, vibration, light, radioactive, various types of waste, etc.) and degradation. Both scientists and politicians pay attention to this. We have analyzed the existing international and national norms, regulating relations for the protection of the Arctic marine environment. For these purposes, international documents, depending on the range of regulated issues, were divided into five groups: 1) general; 2) special; 3) agreements regulating liability and compensation issues; 4) environmental agreements that indirectly regulate the protection of the marine environment; 5) Arctic documents. It is determined that the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (hereinaſter referred to as the Convention of 1982) is one of the main “general” agreements, which not only establishes the obligations of participating countries to protect the marine environment, but also provides coastal states with special environmental requirements in ice–covered areas, including the Arctic Ocean. In this regard, the Russian Federation has undertaken an obligation to regulate navigation in the waters of the Northern Sea Route (hereinaſter – the NSR) for the purposes of environmental protection and prevention of pollution from ships.The issue of the need to develop and sign a separate agreement on the Arctic was also considered by the author, and the conclusion was formulated that there is no need and objective possibility of implementing such an initiative, especially in the current political situation in the world. The author notes that all specialized international Arctic documents have an ecocentric focus, which meets the intentions of the Arctic states, including Russia, to continue the development and development of Arctic territories and waters with mandatory compliance with modern environmental requirements. In this regard, the development of scientific research in the Arctic and the improvement of the best existing environmental technologies are of particular importance. The 2017 Agreement on Strengthening International Arctic Scientific Cooperation is designed to promote the development of joint research and information exchange. However, in light of the suspension of scientific and technical cooperation between the Russian Federation and other Arctic states, we cannot consider its effectiveness today.DISCUSSSION AND CONCLUSIONS. There is a large number of documents regulating the protection of the Arctic marine environment, which have been developed at the international level. The Arctic ecosystem needs special protection because of its vulnerability. The ongoing climate change and melting of glaciers have led to an increase in anthropogenic pressure on the region. At the same time, it is known that any human activity has a negative impact on the state of the environment. Despite the existence of a large number of international and national documents on the protection of the Arctic marine environment, many issues have not yet been resolved. Today we face the need to fill in the existing gaps. However, the development of regulatory documents should be based on the results of scientific research in various fields of knowledge. This will ensure the validity of the decisions made. The Arctic is subject to international regulation, and the fragile Arctic environment is also protected internationally. The Arctic region differs from the Antarctic: the Antarctic Treaty effectively freezes territorial claims to the South Pole and allows states to protect the environment. The land part of the Arctic belongs to eight Arctic states. Therefore, international cooperation in the Arctic region faces many challenges, and the norms of nternational law, such as the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, are necessary to resolve emerging disputes.

ABSTRACTThis paper outlines the methodological approaches to a multi-site Circumpolar case study exploring the impacts of COVID-19 on Indigenous and remote communities in 7 of 8 Arctic countries. Researchers involved with the project implemented a three-phase multi-site case study to assess the positive and negative societal outcomes associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in Arctic communities from 2020 to 2023. The goal of the multi-site case study was to identify community-driven models and evidence-based promising practices and recommendations that can help inform cohesive and coordinated public health responses and protocols related to future public health emergencies in the Arctic. Research sites included a minimum of 1 one community each from Canada (Nunavut,) United States of America (Alaska), Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland. The approaches used for our multi-site case study provide a comprehensive, evidence-based account of the complex health challenges facing Arctic communities, offering insights into the effectiveness of interventions, while also privileging Indigenous local knowledge and voices. The mixed method multi-site case study approach enriched the understanding of unique regional health disparities and strengths during the pandemic. These methodological approaches serve as a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and healthcare professionals, informing future strategies and interventions.

This paper explores how policies and programs can better support country food security and food sovereignty in Gjoa Haven, Nunavut. Through a series of six focus groups with a total of 74 participants, we explore the challenges that Elders, youth, hunters, food preparers, and program providers face in the access, availability, quality, and use of country food. Despite the diverse representation among focus groups, participants revealed similar challenges across demographics and highlighted how tailored policies and programs can provide complementary solutions that serve more than one purpose. We argue that policies and programs targeting financial and economic challenges; resources and infrastructure; and skills and knowledge will improve country food security and will promote food sovereignty. Ultimately, policies and programs must be community informed and tailored to their current context and community dynamics. However, the recommendations we provide could be adapted to other Arctic communities experiencing similar challenges. Keywords: country food; food security; food sovereignty; Inuit self-governance; food programs; Arctic; hunting; Elder; youth; knowledge holders Cet article se penche sur la maniere dont les politiques et les programmes peuvent mieux soutenir la securite alimentaire basee sur les aliments traditionnels et la souverainete alimentaire de Gjoa Haven, au Nunavut. Grace a une serie de six groupes de discussion comptant un total de 74 participants, nous explorons les defis que doivent relever les aines, les jeunes, les chasseurs, les preparateurs d'aliments et les fournisseurs de programmes en matiere d'acces, de disponibilite, de qualite et d'utilisation des aliments traditionnels. Malgre la representation et les caracteristiques demographiques variees des groupes de discussion, les participants ont affirme faire face a des defis de meme nature. Ils ont egalement mentionne que des politiques et des programmes sur mesure peuvent offrir des solutions complementaires revetant plus d'un objectif. Nous soutenons que des politiques et des programmes tenant compte des defis financiers et economiques, des ressources et des infrastructures de meme que des competences et des connaissances permettront d'ameliorer la securite alimentaire basee sur les aliments traditionnels et favoriseront la souverainete alimentaire. Au bout du compte, les politiques et les programmes doivent prendre en consideration les besoins de la communaute et etre adaptes a leur contexte actuel de meme qu'a la dynamique de la communaute. Cependant, il y a lieu de noter que les recommandations que nous faisons pourraient etre adaptees a d'autres communautes arctiques ayant des defis semblables a relever. Mots-cles : aliments traditionnels; securite alimentaire; souverainete alimentaire; autonomie inuite; programmes alimentaires; Arctique; chasse; aine; jeune; gardien du savoir Traduit pour la revue Arctic par Nicole Giguere., INTRODUCTION Country food is crucial for the well-being of Inuit people in Canada and the circumpolar world. Country food is linked to Inuit identity and way of life, and supports [...]

This article adopts a cross-cultural lens to understand why Inuit women enter and leave mining jobs in Inuit Nunangat (Inuit homelands), Canada, using Nunavik as a case study. Previous research has often depicted Indigenous women as either victims of mining or as anti-mining activists. Interviews with ten Nunavimmiut women (Inuit women of Nunavik), who had worked or were currently working at one of two mines in Nunavik, complicate these portrayals. As a team consisting of settler and Inuit scholars, we draw on Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit principles to extend previous understandings of Indigenous women's pathways through, and out of, mining employment. Women's descriptions of mining employment were ambivalent. Inuit women applied qanuqtuurunnarniq (resourcefulness) in using mining work to share with others, connect with Inuit culture and community after moving to southern cities, and participate in language and skills training. However, over half of the women interviewed ultimately left mining when it compromised their ability to achieve well-being by restricting their ability to care for their children, to develop their skills through job advancement, or both. Collectively, the narratives demonstrate how women adopted multi-faceted strategies to pursue a good life; they considered mining employment in relation to their ability to care for and share with others, work for a common purpose, acquire skills and training, and maintain connections with land and culture. By centring Inuit values and well-being, Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit principles prompt a reimagining of how mining might be reorganized to support the lives of Inuit women in the context of devastating impacts of colonial trauma and displacement. Keywords: Indigenous; mining; gender; Arctic; women; agency; extraction; Inuit; well-being; Indigenous knowledge; Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit S'appuyant sur une etude de cas du Nunavik, cet article adopte une optique interculturelle pour comprendre ce qui incite les Inuites a accepter des emplois dans l'industrie miniere de l'Inuit Nunangat (terres ancestrales des Inuits), au Canada et ce qui les incite a quitter ces emplois. D'apres d'autres etudes, les femmes autochtones sont souvent considerees soit comme des victimes de l'exploitation miniere, soit comme des activistes militant contre l'exploitation miniere. Des entrevues avec dix Inuites du Nunavik qui ont travaille a l'une des deux mines du Nunavik ou qui y travaillent encore viennent compliquer ces hypotheses. En tant qu'equipe composee d'erudits colonisateurs ou inuits, nous nous appuyons sur les principes de l'Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit pour mieux comprendre le cheminement des femmes autochtones dans le cadre de leurs emplois miniers, a l'entree et a la sortie de ce secteur. Les descriptions des emplois miniers par les femmes etaient ambivalentes. Les Inuites faisaient preuve de qanuqtuurunnarniq (ingeniosite) en ce sens qu'elles se servaient de leur emploi du secteur minier pour se rapprocher d'autres personnes, pour faire le lien avec leur culture inuite et la communaute apres avoir demenage dans des villes plus au sud et pour prendre part a des occasions de formation en langue et d'acquisition de competences. Toutefois, plus de la moitie des femmes interviewees finissaient par quitter le milieu minier lorsque celui-ci compromettait leur bien-etre en restreignant leur capacite a prendre soin de leurs enfants, a acquerir des competences par le biais de l'avancement professionnel, ou les deux. Sur le plan collectif, les temoignages des femmes permettent de comprendre comment elles ont adopte des strategies polyvalentes pour se faire une bonne vie. Elles ont considere un emploi dans le secteur minier en tenant compte de leur capacite a s'occuper des autres et a se rapprocher d'autrui, de travailler dans un but commun, d'acquerir des competences, de faire de la formation et d'entretenir des liens avec la terre et la culture. En mettant l'accent sur le bien-etre et les valeurs des Inuits, les principes de l'Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit incitent a repenser comment l'exploitation miniere pourrait etre reorganisee pour favoriser le bien-etre des Inuites dans le contexte des effets devastateurs des deplacements et des traumatismes du colonialisme. Mots-cles: Autochtone; exploitation miniere; genre; Arctique; femmes; agence; extraction; Inuit; connaissances des Autochtones en matiere de bien-etre; Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Traduit pour la revue Arctic par Nicole Giguere., INTRODUCTION All I can say is that [the mine] is so positive for me personally, in my head and healthy. And what I don't like is being apart from home. [...]

Polar bears rely upon sea ice to hunt, travel, and reproduce. Declining sea ice extent and duration has led polar bears to be designated as “threatened” (ESA). Population monitoring is vital to polar bear conservation; but recently, poor sea ice has made traditional aircraft-based methods less viable. These methods largely rely upon the capture and handling of polar bears, and have been criticized over animal welfare concerns. Monitoring polar bears via DNA sampling is a promising option. One common method utilizes biopsy darts delivered from a helicopter to collect DNA, a method that faces similar ice associated challenges to those described above. However, epidermal cells shed from the foot pads of a polar bear into its paw-prints in snow are a source of “environmental DNA” (e-DNA) that can be collected non-invasively on the sea ice or on land for potential use in population monitoring. Mitochondrial DNA (mt-DNA) is used to assess whether polar bear DNA is present within a snow sample, and nuclear DNA (n-DNA) can identify individuals and their sex. The goal of this investigation was to assess the viability of using e-DNA collected from paw-prints in the snow to identify individual polar bears and their sex. Snow was sampled from 13 polar bear trails (10 paw-prints per trail) on the sea ice in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas along the North Slope of Alaska. Species verification was based on a mt-DNA PCR fragment analysis test. Identification of individuals was accomplished by amplifying a multiplex of seven n-DNA microsatellite loci, and sex was determined by the amelogenin gene sex ID marker. Six of the 13 bear trails sampled (46%) yielded consensus genotypes for five unique males and one female. To our knowledge, this is the first time that polar bears have been individually identified by genotype and sex using e-DNA collected from snow. This method is non-invasive, could be integrated into genetic mark-recapture sampling designs, and addresses some of the current challenges arising from poor sea ice conditions. It also can involve, engage, and empower Indigenous communities in the Arctic, which are greatly affected by polar bear management decisions.

This paper engages an Indigenous and a non-Indigenous researcher in discussion about collaboration and co-creation between researchers and Indigenous communities that include and prioritise Indigenous knowledge. It places a focus on the preconditions for respectful and goal-oriented research relationships. The paper is structured around ‘small moments’ in research, as a means of analysing the need for commonality and relationality. Indigenous understandings of relationality include connection to place as a living practice with a responsibility to kin. Relationality and commonality focus on friendship, shared visioning and communication across long distances. Through discourse, Dr Charleen Fisher (Gwich’in, Tl’eeyegge Hʉt’aane, Dena’ina) and Dr Nina Doering (German) focus on positionality, relationality, communication and co-creation in a variety of communication landscapes. Long-term critical discussions during the Covid-19 pandemic about ethical research with Indigenous philosophy, epistemology and ontology normalised virtual meetings as a contemporary practice. The paper addresses research in the social and natural sciences and humanities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating field data, remote satellite imagery, scientific analysis, and multimedia visual representation to document Arctic ice that is disappearing due to climate change, this artwork is the outcome of a [...]

The scientific study of the Arctic is a geographically determined area of multi- and interdisciplinary research, the analysis of the development of which at the global and national levels is of interest for bibliometric analytics. The basis for such an analysis can be information about the scientific knowledge produced in the world, which is accumulated by bibliographic databases (DBs) of different levels. The aim of this article is to give a comparative assessment of the degree of coverage of the Arctic topics in three well-known DBs: Web of Science Core Collection, Google Scholar and VINITI RAS; perform a bibliometric review of Arctic research (in the world and in Russia) using the global polythematic DB Web of Science Core Collection and the domestic DB VINITI RAS. Based on a specially formed sample of publications indexed in the DB Web of Science Core Collection for the period 1980-2020, the scale of production of scientific knowledge about the Arctic, the contribution of the most significant countries participating in research, including Russia, are estimated; a high degree of international scientific cooperation is shown. The Top 10 most productive Russian cities in the study of the Arctic have been identified, the publication contribution of Siberian scientists, who have significantly increased their activity since 2014, has been evaluated. With the help of the DB VINITI RAS, which has a greater coverage of Russian publications, the subjects of works related to the study of the Siberian region of the Arctic are characterized. In particular, it is shown that most of them over the past three years have been aimed at problems of geology, solving problems of economics and energy.

Colonial nesting is associated with numerous costs and benefits that may either increase or decrease fitness of individuals in colonies. Fitness can vary as a function of the location within colonies and individuals may attempt to improve their fitness by changing their nesting location between years. We used a 24 year data set on nest locations within the Tutakoke River Black Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) colony on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in western Alaska and multi-state capture-mark-recapture models to study the movement of individuals between 2 spatial strata in the colony separated by the Tutakoke River. We found that individuals nesting in a stratum that experienced higher levels of predation by arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) were 3 times more likely to move to the other stratum than vice versa, despite slightly higher risk of tidal flooding in the second stratum. These results suggest that Black Brant changed nest locations in an attempt to maximize reproductive fitness and they are consistent with a long-term shift in nest density over the course of the study. Received 28 May 2021. 10 February 2022. Key words: arctic, coloniality, dispersal, geese, multi-state, nesting, private information, public information. La anidacion en colonias esta asociada con numerosos costos y beneficios que pueden aumentar o reducir la sobrevivencia de individuos en colonias. La sobrevivencia puede variar en funcidn de la localizacion del nido al interior de la colonia y los individuos pueden intentar mejoras en su sobrevivencia mediante el cambio de sitio de anidacion en diferentes afios. Usamos un juego de datos de localizacion de nidos de 24 arios en la colonia de gansos Branta bernicla nigricans del rio Tutakoke en el delta del Yukon-Kuskokwin en el occidente de Alaska y modelos multiestado de capura-marcado-recaptura para estudiar el movimiento de individuos entre 2 estratos espaciales en la colonia separados por el rio Tutakoke. Encontramos que los individuos anidando en un estrato que experimento mayores niveles de depredacion por zorros del Artico (Vulpes lagopus) tenian una probabilidad 3 veces mayor de moverse al otro estrato que viceversa, atin pese a un ligeramente mayor riesgo de inundacion por mareas en el segundo estrato. Estos resultados sugieren que estos gansos cambiaron la ubicacion de sus nidos para intentar maximizar su sobrevivencia reproductiva y son consistentes con un cambio a largo plazo en la densidad de nidos a largo plazo a lo largo del periodo de este estudio. Patabras clave: artico, colonialidad, dispersion, ganso, informacion privada, infonnacion publica, multi-estado., Colonial breeding is a common trait across a wide variety of taxa, including mammals, reptiles, insects, and birds, despite numerous negative consequences of living in high densities of conspecifics. These [...]

In this article, the authors tried to consider and structure the stages of development and creation of the “Yermak”, the world's first Arctic icebreaker, and analyzed the stages of preparation and the results of its first expeditions to explore the Arctic. Systematic analysis of historical sources and biographical material allowed to separate and comprehensively consider the conditions and prehistory for the development and creation of “Yermak” icebreaker. Also, the authors gave an assessment to the role of Vice Admiral Stepan Osypovych Makarov in those events, and analyzed the role of Sergei Yulyevich Witte, Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev and Pyotr Petrovich Semenov-Tian-Shansky in the preparation and implementation of the first Arctic expeditions of the “Yermak”icebreaker. In addition, the authors considered and analyzed the assessment of Vice Admiral Stepan Osypovych Makarov and his personal contribution to the results of the first Arctic expeditions of the “Yermak”icebreaker made by Baron Ferdinand von Wrangel. The first polar expeditions showed that the idea of Vice Admiral Stepan Osypovych Makarov about the icebreaker fleet was viable and required further development. It is shown that the results of the first Arctic expeditions made by “Yermak” allowed to significantly develop knowledge in various scientific fields of Arctic and Earth research, namely, topography, astronomy, meteorology, hydrology, geology, magnetism, zoology, and botany. The use of these methods and approaches to scientific research allowed to retrace the way of life and professional activity of Vice Admiral Stepan Osypovych Makarov’s systematically and critically evaluate the sources used, highlight the main points in the current state of studying the subject and the results of predecessors, specify the most promising directions of research, give a description of the previous works on this issue and clearly distinguish issues that have not yet been resolved.

Accelerated melting of ice in Polar Regions due to global warming increases freshwater input to coastal waters from marine terminating glaciers. Lack of measurements near the glacier terminus limits our knowledge of the mixing processes between freshwater and the underlying ocean.We present a low-cost (< € 3200) and lightweight (2.6 kg) drone-deployed, retrievable conductivity, temperature and depth (CTD) instrument for remote controlled (1 km) autonomous profiling in highly hazardous and remote areas. The instrument was deployed with a drone taking off from land and marine vessels to perform measurements near tidewater glaciers termini of the Greenland ice sheet.The free-flowing profiler is reusable due to a compact ballast based single-shot buoyancy engine and post-profiling pickup by drone. It can reach a depth of up to 250 m, and is equipped with low-cost sensors for conductivity, temperature, and depth measurements.During decent the profiler reaches a velocity of about 0.48 m/s, resulting in about 3.5 data points pr. m depth, but is designed to easily vary the velocity by changing buoyancy setup before deployment.Successful tests were conducted at marine terminating glaciers in Northeast Greenland in August 2021.

Summary: The article contributes to a better understanding of the role of research in the policies of the states that are scientifically engaged in the High North. The research covers 17 European states: six are Arctic and 11 non-Arctic, which were selected according to the following (at least one) formulated criteria: having an established tradition of carrying out scientific research in the Arctic region; having issued Arctic policy documents and/or Arctic research strategies; participation in the activities of the Arctic Council; and having gained membership of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). In the analysis we have applied a mixed research method, since it incorporates elements of both qualitative and quantitative approaches and offers a more comprehensive review of the scrutinised texts. The qualitative analysis relies on a discourse analysis (predicate analysis). The quantitative part of the analysis utilizes the instruments of a software research tool – The AntConc. In the end, the outcomes of both methods are merged and compared. The study reveals that conducting scientific research is not a top priority for all Arctic states. However, it has the highest similarity in terms of applied approaches among Arctic states as compared to other fields (e.g. the economy, security or pollution). At the same time, the environment and climate change are perceived to be the most important drivers behind Arctic research as defined in the Arctic states' strategies. Moreover, there are major differences among both Arctic and non-Arctic states in terms of the level of accuracy in the presentation of their research activities, particularly with regard to the implementation of scientific programmes and research aims. Finally, the research indicates that all states highlight that international scientific cooperation stimulates cooperation also in other areas and that research provides information that supports decision making and policy creation.

Vegetation is changing across the Arctic in response to increasing temperatures, which may influence archaeological sites in the region. At the moment, very little is known about how different plant species influence archaeological remains. In this study we visited 14 archaeological sites stretching across a climatic gradient from the outer coast to the inner fjords in the Nuuk Fjord area of West Greenland to assess the impact of vegetation growth on archaeological preservation. Examination of the physical disturbance of archaeological layers and materials by roots from different plant species showed that horsetail (Equisetum arvense) was particularly destructive because of its deep penetrating rhizomes and ubiquity across the study area. Willow (Salix glauca) also caused physical disturbance due to a dense root network, but its roots were mainly found in the upper 30 cm of the soil. Focus was also given to the impact from vegetation on the visibility of sites, where growth of willow was found be the main problem, especially in the inner fjords. Historic descriptions and aerial photographs from the sites show that shrub growth was already widespread in the region by the 1930s, but photos of some of the sites investigated show that the willow shrubs are significantly taller today, which has decreased the visibility of site features. The impact from horsetail and willow on archaeological sites may be mitigated using geotextiles and grazing by livestock, but both methods require further studies before being implemented in the study area. Key words: vegetation; Low Arctic; archaeological sites; root damage; visibility; Nuuk Fjord A la grandeur de l'Arctique, la vegetation change en reaction aux temperatures a la hausse, ce qui peut exercer une influence sur les sites archeologiques de la region. En ce moment, on en sait peu sur la maniere dont les differentes especes vegetales influencent les restes archeologiques. Dans le cadre de cette etude, nous avons visite 14 sites archeologiques repartis sur un gradient climatique allant de la zone cotiere exterieure aux fjords interieurs de la region du fjord de Nuuk, dans l'ouest du Greenland, afin d'evaluer l'incidence de la croissance de la vegetation sur la preservation archeologique. L'examen de la perturbation physique des couches et du materiel archeologiques au moyen des racines de differentes especes vegetales a permis de constater que la prele (Equisetum arvense) jouait un role particulierement destructeur en raison de ses rhizomes profonds et omnipresents dans toute la zone etudiee. Le saule (Salix glauca) entraine aussi des perturbations physiques en raison de son reseau de racines denses, bien que ses racines se trouvent principalement dans la couche superieure de sol de 30 cm. Nous avons aussi accorde de l'importance a l'incidence de la vegetation sur la visibilite des sites, ce qui a permis de conclure que la croissance du saule constituait le probleme principal, surtout dans la zone interieure des fjords. Les descriptions historiques et les photographies aeriennes des sites montrent que la croissance d'arbustes etait deja repandue dans la region dans les annees 1930, bien que certaines photos des sites etudies permettent de comprendre que les saules arbustifs sont beaucoup plus grands aujourd'hui, ce qui diminue la visibilite des caracteristiques des sites. L'incidence de la prele et du saule sur les sites archeologiques pourrait etre attenuee par l'utilisation de geotextiles et le broutage du betail. Il y a toutefois lieu de se pencher de plus pres sur ces deux methodes avant de les adopter dans la zone etudiee. Mots cles : vegetation; Bas-Arctique; sites archeologiques; endommagement des racines; visibilite; fjord de Nuuk Traduit pour la revue Arctic par Nicole Giguere., INTRODUCTION Archaeological sites in the Arctic represent an irreplaceable record of human history. Low temperatures, favourable moisture conditions, limited human impact, and sparse vegetation have limited the decay of material [...]

The killer whale (Orcinus orca (Linnaeus, 1758)) is a widely distributed marine predator with a broad ecological niche at the species level with evidence of specialization and narrow ecological niches among populations. Their occurrence in Canadian Arctic waters is limited by sea ice and it has been suggested that climate warming, which has caused increases in the area of ice-free water and duration of the ice-free season, has led to an increased killer whale presence during the open-water period. In this review, we summarize our knowledge of Canadian Arctic killer whale demographics and ecology, synthesizing published and previously unpublished information in a single document. More specifically, we summarize our knowledge of killer whale population size and trends, distribution and seasonality (including results from recent satellite-tracking studies), feeding ecology, and threats, and identify research priorities in the Canadian Arctic. Despite increased research efforts during the past decade, our demographic and ecological knowledge remains incomplete. An improved ecological understanding is necessary for effective management of killer whales and their prey, species of ecological, economic, and cultural importance to Canadian Inuit and the marine ecosystem. This knowledge will allow us to better understand the ecological consequences of a changing Arctic climate. Key words: abundance, distribution, killer whale, Orcinus orca, photographic identification, predation, satellite telemetry. L'epaulard (Orcinus orca (Linnaeus, 1758)) est un predateur marin a vaste aire de repartition et caracterise par une large niche ecologique a l'echelle de l'espece, mais qui presente des signes de specialisation et des niches ecologiques etroites a l'echelle des populations. Sa presence dans les eaux de l'Arctique canadien est limitee par la glace marine, et il a ete propose que le rechauffement climatique, qui a cause des augmentations de la superficie des eaux libres et de la duree de la periode d'eaux libres, y a aussi entraine une presence accrue d'epaulards durant la periode d'eaux libres. Dans la presente synthese, nous resumons les connaissances sur la demographie et l'ecologie des epaulards dans l'Arctique canadien en presentant dans un meme document une synthese d'information publiee et jamais publiee auparavant. Nous resumons plus precisement les connaissances sur la taille de la population et les tendances demographiques, la repartition et la saisonnalite (incluant des resultats d'etudes de surveillance satellitaire recentes) et l'ecologie de l'alimentation des epaulards, ainsi que sur les menaces auxquelles ils font face, et cernons les priorites de recherche dans l'Arctique canadien pour cette espece. Malgre des efforts de recherche accrus au cours de la derniere decennie, les connaissances demographiques et ecologiques demeurent incompletes. Une meilleure comprehension ecologique est necessaire pour une gestion efficace des epaulards et de leurs proies, des especes d'importance ecologique, economique et culturelle pour les Inuits du Canada et pour l'ecosysteme marin. Ces connaissances nous permettront de mieux comprendre les consequences ecologiques de l'evolution du climat arctique. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : abondance, repartition, epaulard, Orcinus orca, identification photographique, predation, telemetrie satellitaire., Introduction Monitoring a population's demographics and ecology is key to documenting climate-linked population-level shifts and their ecosystem-level consequences (Pershing et al. 2015). This is particularly true for shifts in top-predator [...]

ABSTRACT. Arctic regions have been experiencing increasing pressures from multiple environmental stressors, most notably rapid climate change and human development. Previous research has demonstrated the impacts of calcareous dust from [...]

ABSTRACT. We present the first records of fungi associated with feathers from seabirds and sea ducks in the Canadian Arctic and sub-Arctic. Birds sampled in Nunavut and Newfoundland (Canada) included [...]

Diapause at depth is considered an integral part of the life cycle of Calanus copepods, but few studies have focused on the Arctic species Calanus glacialis and Calanus hyperboreus. By analyzing a large set of pan-arctic observational data compiled from multiple sources, we show that Arctic Calanus has a broad depth distribution in winter, indicating that diapause at depth is a facultative strategy. Both species' vertical distributions tend to deepen in winter and to be deeper and broader with increasing bottom depth, while individuals are aggregated closer to the sea floor in shallow areas. These results indicate that Arctic Calanus species pursue a relatively deep diapause habitat but are topographically blocked on the shelves. Interspecific differences in depth distribution during diapause suggest the importance of predation. The larger C. hyperboreus has a deeper diapause depth than C. glacialis, potentially to alleviate predation pressure or as a result of predation loss near the surface. Moreover, the mean depth of C. hyperboreus in winter is negatively associated with latitude, indicating a shoaling of the diapause population in the central Arctic Ocean where predation pressure is lower. Our results suggest a complex diapause behavior by Arctic Calanus, with implications for our view of the species' roles in Arctic ecosystems., Introduction Many organisms respond to periodically unfavorable environmental conditions by entering a state of dormancy. In the abundant marine pelagic copepods in the order Calanoida, dormancy can take the form [...]

Participatory scenario methodologies are increasingly used for studying possible future developments in the Arctic. They have the potential to contribute to several high-priority tasks for Arctic research, such as integration of indigenous and local knowledge in futures studies, providing a platform for activating Arctic youth in shaping their futures, identifying Arctic-relevant indicators for sustainable development, and supporting decision-making towards sustainable futures. Yet, to achieve this potential, several methodological challenges need to be addressed. These include attention to whose voices are amplified or silenced in participatory research practices, with special attention to diversification and the engagement of youth. Given the historic and potential future role of disruptive events for Arctic development trajectories, methods are needed in participatory scenario exercises to include attention to the dynamics and consequences of such events and regime shifts. Participatory scenarios can also be further improved through approaches that effectively combine qualitative and quantitative information. Finally, there is a need for systematic studies of how the results of scenario exercises influence decision-making processes. This article elaborates on ways in which attention to these aspects can help make scenarios more robust for assessing a diversity of potential Arctic futures in times of rapid environmental and social change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite its political, regulatory, technical, and environmental challenges , the recent trend of ice melting in the Arctic region has caused the increase in international shipping activities. Accordingly, this is supported by research focusing on a wide variety of shipping issues in the Arctic. Surprisingly, this is not the case in Arctic port research. That being said, considering the role of ports in the development of maritime transportation and recent activities in the Arctic, it was critical to map academic and managerial implications of the research in such a terrain. In doing so, this study focused on research articles which addressed the subject since 1980. Through a systematic analysis, the spatial scale (i.e., foreland and maritime space (global), hinterland (regional/national), and port (local) scales), and functional perspective (i.e., space- related (locational), activity-related (operational) and consequence-related (impact) perspectives) of 38 representative articles were extracted and used. The findings suggest that, despite the historic similarity between Arctic shipping and Arctic port research, there was a widening gap between such trends in the last ten years, and at the same time, the contribution of Arctic port articles was very limited. Over the past years, the order of impact of Arctic port research was that the consequence-related global scale issues were highest followed by regional/national and local scales respectively. This was in contrast to port research, in which activity- related local scale research ranked the highest. Also, a comparison of research between Northern Sea Route (NSR) and the North West Passage (NWP) was carried out to understand the attitude of infrastructure holders along those routes. Investigation revealed that more than 70% of research was conducted on the NSR. Unlike the NWP, the research direction for the NSR followed a particular trend over the past four decades with the 2010-June 2019, dominated by consequence-related global scale research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT. One of the most pervasive signals of global climate change is altered patterns of distribution with trends towards poleward shifts of species. While habitat loss and destruction has severed [...]

The Canadian Arctic hosts millions of marine birds annually, many of which aggregate in large numbers at well-defined sites at predictable times of the year. Marine habitats in this region will be under increasing threats from anthropogenic activities, largely facilitated by climate change and long-term trends of reduced sea ice extent and thickness. In this review, we update previous efforts to delineate the most important habitats for marine birds in Arctic Canada, using the most current population estimates for Canada, as well as recent information from shipboard surveys and telemetry studies. We identify 349 160 [km.sup.2] of key habitat, more than doubling earlier suggestions for key habitat extent. As of 2018, 1% of these habitats fall within the boundaries of legislated protected areas. New marine conservation areas currently being finalized in the Canadian Arctic will only increase the proportion protected to 13%. Key words: marine, foraging radius, Canadian Arctic, seabird, marine spatial planning. L'Arctique canadien recoit des millions d'oiseaux marins annuellement, dont beaucoup se rassemblent en grand nombre a des sites bien definis, et ce, a des moments previsibles de l'annee. Les habitats marins dans cette region seront de plus en plus menaces par les activites anthropiques, phenomene en grande partie amplifie par le changement climatique et les tendances a la diminution de l'etendue et de l'epaisseur de la glace de mer a long terme. Dans cette revue, nous mettons a jour les efforts precedents de tracer les habitats les plus importants des oiseaux marins dans l'Arctique canadien, utilisant les evaluations de population les plus actuelles pour le Canada, ainsi que des informations recentes de leves faits a bord de navires et des etudes de telemetrie. Nous avons recense 349160 [km.sup.2] d'habitats cles, ce qui a plus que double par rapport aux suggestions anterieures concernant l'etendue des habitats cles. En 2018, 1%deceshabitats se trouvait a l'interieur des limites des aires protegees prescrites par la loi. Les nouvelles aires marines de conservation dans l'Arctique canadien, en cours de finalisation, n'augmenteront la proportion des aires protegees que de 13%. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: marin, aire d'alimentation, Arctique canadien, oiseau marin, planification de l'espace marin., Introduction The Arctic marine environment is dominated by sea ice cover for much of the year and a marked seasonal pulse of food resources following sea ice breakup (Welch et [...]

ABSTRACT. As climate change and globalization are opening the Arctic to human activities, the debate about how best to organize Arctic institutions in order to facilitate regional governance has been [...]

ABSTRACT. Breeding bird response to habitat rehabilitation after anthropogenic disturbance has received little attention in the Arctic. The North Slope of Alaska is an important breeding ground for many populations [...]

Arctic sea ice incorporates and transports sediment, releasing it back into the water column during the melting season. This process constitutes an important aspect of marine sediment transport and biogeochemical cycling. Sediment incorporation into sea ice is considered to occur mainly through underwater interaction between frazil ice and resuspended sediment, referred to as suspension freezing. However, harsh environmental conditions have greatly limited field observations of this phenomenon. Analysis of mooring data from a coastal polynya in the northeastern Chukchi Sea, in conjunction with coastal ice radar and meteorological data, indicates that suspension freezing is a key mechanism for sediment entrainment into sea ice. During polynya episodes, acoustic backscatter data obtained by an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler showed the presence of frazil ice from the surface down to 20‐ to 25‐m depth, coinciding with in situ and potential supercooling. Underwater frazil ice persisted over 1 week under windy, turbulent water column conditions. A combination of the turbidity and Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler backscatter data revealed upward sediment dispersion associated with strong currents during the polynya episodes. The fact that frazil ice and resuspended sediment were detected at the same depth and time strongly suggests the interaction between ice crystals and sediment particles, that is, suspension freezing. Plain Language Summary: Sea ice incorporates, transports, and releases particulate matter. These processes constitute an important aspect of the biology, biogeochemical cycling, and pollutant transport in polar oceans. Seafloor sediments serve as the most important source of such particulate matter; however, the process of sediment incorporation into sea ice remains poorly explored. We conducted a year‐long study of sediment resuspension and entrainment processes, using underwater sensors deployed in the Chukchi Sea. During winter, wind‐driven offshore transport of sea ice created area of open water and newly grown thin ice that persisted for several days, so‐called coastal polynya or flaw lead system. Our sensors recorded small ice crystals, so‐called frazil ice, that formed in the water column when water temperatures were below freezing point (supercooling). During some of these episodes, sediment was resuspended from the seafloor and dispersed upward by the strong currents, bringing it into water depths at which frazil ice was encountered. Such conditions provide for opportunities that allow frazil ice crystals or aggregates to capture resuspended sediment, a process referred to as suspension freezing. Based on this study, we propose that suspension freezing commonly occurs in shallow Arctic polynyas, serving as a key process of sediment incorporation into sea ice. Key Points: ADCP data provided evidence of frazil ice penetrating to ~25 m in the water column during supercooling episodes in a coastal polynyaThe combination of acoustic and optical measurements revealed underwater frazil ice‐sediment interaction at water depths of 10–25 mSuspension freezing can often occur in shallow polynyas and is suggested to be the dominant process of sediment incorporation into sea ice [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cold, wet climate of the Arctic has led to the extraordinary preservation of archaeological sites and materials that offer important contributions to the understanding of our common cultural and ecological history. This potential, however, is quickly disappearing due to climate-related variables, including the intensification of permafrost thaw and coastal erosion, which are damaging and destroying a wide range of cultural and environmental archives around the Arctic. In providing an overview of the most important effects of climate change in this region and on archaeological sites, the authors propose the next generation of research and response strategies, and suggest how to capitalise on existing successful connections among research communities and between researchers and the public. Keywords: Arctic, climate change, conservation, heritage management, archaeological mitigation strategies, Introduction The past decade has witnessed growing global concern about the accelerating impact of climate change on archaeological sites (Colette 2007; see online supplementary material (OSM) 1, references 1-4). An [...]

ABSTRACT. The limited availability of consistent, longitudinal data sources for marine traffic in Arctic Canada has presented significant challenges for researchers, policy makers, and planners. Temporally and spatially accurate shipping [...]

The French–German Arctic research base AWIPEV (the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research – AWI – and the French Polar Institute Paul Emile Victor – PEV) at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, is a unique station for monitoring cloud-related processes in the Arctic. For the first time, data from a set of ground-based instruments at the AWIPEV observatory are analyzed to characterize the vertical structure of clouds. For this study, a 14-month dataset from Cloudnet combining observations from a ceilometer, a 94 GHz cloud radar, and a microwave radiometer is used. A total cloud occurrence of ∼81 %, with 44.8 % multilayer and 36 % single-layer clouds, was found. Among single-layer clouds the occurrence of liquid, ice, and mixed-phase clouds was 6.4 %, 9 %, and 20.6 %, respectively. It was found that more than 90 % of single-layer liquid and mixed-phase clouds have liquid water path (LWP) values lower than 100 and 200 g m -2 , respectively. Mean values of ice water path (IWP) for ice and mixed-phase clouds were found to be 273 and 164 g m -2 , respectively. The different types of single-layer clouds are also related to in-cloud temperature and the relative humidity under which they occur. Statistics based on observations are compared to ICOsahedral Non-hydrostatic (ICON) model output. Distinct differences in liquid-phase occurrence in observations and the model at different environmental temperatures lead to higher occurrence of pure ice clouds. A lower occurrence of mixed-phase clouds in the model at temperatures between -20 and -5 ∘ C becomes evident. The analyzed dataset is useful for satellite validation and model evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the world's permafrost is located in the Arctic, where its frozen organic carbon content makes it a potentially important influence on the global climate system. The Arctic climate appears to be changing more rapidly than the lower latitudes, but observational data density in the region is low. Permafrost thaw and carbon release into the atmosphere, as well as snow cover changes, are positive feedback mechanisms that have the potential for climate warming. It is therefore particularly important to understand the links between the energy balance, which can vary rapidly over hourly to annual timescales, and permafrost conditions, which changes slowly on decadal to centennial timescales. This requires long-term observational data such as that available from the Samoylov research site in northern Siberia, where meteorological parameters, energy balance, and subsurface observations have been recorded since 1998. This paper presents the temporal data set produced between 2002 and 2017, explaining the instrumentation, calibration, processing, and data quality control. Furthermore, we present a merged data set of the parameters, which were measured from 1998 onwards. Additional data include a high-resolution digital terrain model (DTM) obtained from terrestrial lidar laser scanning. Since the data provide observations of temporally variable parameters that influence energy fluxes between permafrost, active-layer soils, and the atmosphere (such as snow depth and soil moisture content), they are suitable for calibrating and quantifying the dynamics of permafrost as a component in earth system models. The data also include soil properties beneath different microtopographic features (a polygon centre, a rim, a slope, and a trough), yielding much-needed information on landscape heterogeneity for use in land surface modelling. For the record from 1998 to 2017, the average mean annual air temperature was -12.3 ∘ C, with mean monthly temperature of the warmest month (July) recorded as 9.5 ∘ C and for the coldest month (February) -32.7 ∘ C. The average annual rainfall was 169 mm. The depth of zero annual amplitude is at 20.75 m. At this depth, the temperature has increased from -9.1 ∘ C in 2006 to -7.7 ∘ C in 2017. The presented data are freely available through the PANGAEA (10.1594/PANGAEA.891142) and Zenodo (https://zenodo.org/record/2223709 , last access: 6 February 2019) websites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT. Grizzly bears have recently become more common on the Arctic Islands in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, concurrently with a period of environmental change. Over the last decade, grizzly bear-polar [...]

ABSTRACT. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) display fidelity to large geographic regions, and their movements are influenced by sea ice distribution. Polar bear subpopulations are moderately distinct from one another, and [...]

ABSTRACT. Little is known about the fate of the crew of the Franklin expedition after they sailed from England in 1845. Scant physical evidence and limited Inuit testimony have fueled [...]

The USSR and now Russia have employed a fleet of large icebreakers to gain access across the Russian maritime Arctic and facilitate traffic through the Northern Sea Route (NSR). Since 2008, Atomflot has played a very influential role, not only in the management and operation of Russia's icebreakers, but in laying premises for the NSR as a whole. The current NSR Administration within the Ministry of Transport does not appear to have roles in policy formation, icebreaker management, or planning. Several of the Soviet-era nuclear-powered icebreakers are in need of replacement, but the construction program for new ships is marked by controversies. There is no integrated management of nuclear and conventional icebreakers, and it is unclear how the icebreaker fleet will be used to enhance the effectiveness of NSR operations, and also to what extent the authorities will allow the independent navigation of icebreaking commercial carriers without convoy escort by icebreakers. Keywords: Arctic Ocean, Atomflot, icebreakers, Northern Sea Route., The icebreaker fleet of the USSR and Russian Federation has always been a fundamental necessity to gaining marine access across the Russian Arctic and along the Northern Sea Route (NSR) [...]

ABSTRACT. Ridges in sea ice and the convergent forces that form them are a serious hazard to ships traveling in the Arctic, but few studies have examined ridge distribution at [...]

Arctic environmental changes already impact regional ecosystems, economies and northern communities, and are having increasing influence on many aspects of the global system. Interest in the Arctic has increased in concert with our improved awareness of potential changes; however, research funding has not necessarily kept pace with the need to improve our understanding of Arctic system change to inform evidence-based decision making. Analyses of data on research funding trends (2003–14) in Canada, the USA and the EU indicate that less than 3% of the total budget the funding agencies considered is allocated in any given year to Arctic-related research. Furthermore, alignment is uneven among established scientific research priorities, existing societal needs and projects awarded funding. New support mechanisms and improved alignment among resources, expertise and priorities, including Indigenous research priorities, are vital to planning and adaptation in the face of ongoing Arctic change.

Climate change provides opportunities in the surrounding areas of North Pole to commercial shipping activities, but which also poses risks to ship strikes, oil spills, chronic marine environmental pollution, etc. However, the public product supply of Arctic environmental emergency response and governance is seriously insufficient. As such, a collective and effective system should be established to protect the Arctic environment. In the present paper, a complex network model of Arctic environmental emergency response and governance system is developed. The strategy of each country in the complex network is demonstrated by evolutionary game simulations of this system model. Computational results indicate that the benefit of environmental emergency response and governance affects the cooperation strategy of each country. Moreover, Long-term benefit and return intensity are the key parameters of environmental emergency response and governance benefit. These findings extend theoretical research in the sustainable development Arctic routes and provide reference for the participation of other countries beyond the Arctic Council. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results from ground-penetrating radar (GPR) measurements and shallow ice cores carried out during a scientific traverse between Dome Concordia (DC) and Vostok stations are presented in order to infer both spatial and temporal characteristics of snow accumulation over the East Antarctic Plateau. Spatially continuous accumulation rates along the traverse are computed from the identification of three equally spaced radar reflections spanning about the last 600 years. Accurate dating of these internal reflection horizons (IRHs) is obtained from a depth-age relationship derived from volcanic horizons and bomb testing fallouts on a DC ice core and shows a very good consistency when tested against extra ice cores drilled along the radar profile. Accumulation rates are then inferred by accounting for density profiles down to each IRH. For the latter purpose, a careful error analysis showed that using a single and more accurate density profile along a DC core provided more reliable results than trying to include the potential spatial variability in density from extra (but less accurate) ice cores distributed along the profile. The most striking feature is an accumulation pattern that remains constant through time with persistent gradients such as a marked decrease from 26mmw.e. yr-1 at DC to 20mmw.e. yr-1 at the south-west end of the profile over the last 234 years on average (with a similar decrease from 25 to 19mmw.e. yr-1 over the last 592 years). As for the time dependency, despite an overall consistency with similar measurements carried out along the main East Antarctic divides, interpreting possible trends remains difficult. Indeed, error bars in our measurements are still too large to unambiguously infer an apparent time increase in accumulation rate. For the proposed absolute values, maximum margins of error are in the range 4mmw.e. yr-1 (last 234 years) to 2mmw.e. yr-1 (last 592 years), a decrease with depth mainly resulting from the time-averaging when computing accumulation rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Winter 2016/2017 saw record warmth over the Arctic Ocean, leading to the least amount of freezing degree days north of 70° N since at least 1979. The impact of this warmth was evaluated using model simulations from the Los Alamos sea ice model (CICE) and CryoSat-2 thickness estimates from three different data providers. While CICE simulations show a broad region of anomalously thin ice in April 2017 relative to the 2011-2017 mean, analysis of three CryoSat-2 products show more limited regions with thin ice and do not always agree with each other, both in magnitude and direction of thickness anomalies. CICE is further used to diagnose feedback processes driving the observed anomalies, showing 11-13 cm reduced thermodynamic ice growth over the Arctic domain used in this study compared to the 2011-2017 mean, and dynamical contributions of C1 to C4 cm. Finally, CICE model simulations from 1985 to 2017 indicate the negative feedback relationship between ice growth and winter air temperatures may be starting to weaken, showing decreased winter ice growth since 2012, as winter air temperatures have increased and the freeze-up has been further delayed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using thresholds of physical climate variables developed from community observations, together with two large-scale datasets, we have produced local indices directly relevant to the impacts of a reduced sea ice cover on Alaska coastal communities. The indices include the number of "false freeze-ups" defined by transient exceedances of ice concentration prior to a corresponding exceedance that persists, "false break-ups", timing of freeze-up and break-up, length of the open water duration, number of days when the winds preclude hunting via boat (wind speed threshold exceedances), the number of wind events conducive to geomorphological work or damage to infrastructure from ocean waves, and the number of these wind events with onand along-shore components promoting water setup along the coastline. We demonstrate how community observations can inform use of large-scale datasets to derive these locally relevant indices. The two primary large-scale datasets are the Historical Sea Ice Atlas for Alaska and the atmospheric output from a regional climate model used to downscale the ERA-Interim atmospheric reanalysis. We illustrate the variability and trends of these indices by application to the rural Alaska communities of Kotzebue, Shishmaref, and Utqiaġgvik (previously Barrow), although the same procedure and metrics can be applied to other coastal communities. Over the 1979-2014 time period, there has been a marked increase in the number of combined false freeze-ups and false break-ups as well as the number of days too windy for hunting via boat for all three communities, especially Utqiaġvik. At Utqiaġvik, there has been an approximate tripling of the number of wind events conducive to coastline erosion from 1979 to 2014. We have also found a delay in freeze-up and earlier break-up, leading to a lengthened open water period for all of the communities examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major ions were analysed in firn and ice cores located at Fimbul Ice Shelf (FIS), Dronning Maud Land - DML, Antarctica. FIS is the largest ice shelf in the Haakon VII Sea, with an extent of approximately 36 500 km². Three shallow firn cores (about 20m deep) were retrieved in different ice rises, Kupol Ciolkovskogo (KC), Kupol Moskovskij (KM), and Blåskimen Island (BI), while a 100m long core (S100) was drilled near the FIS edge. These sites are distributed over the entire FIS area so that they provide a variety of elevation (50-400ma.s.l.) and distance (3-42 km) to the sea. Sea-salt species (mainly Na+ and Cl-) generally dominate the precipitation chemistry in the study region.We associate a significant sixfold increase in median sea-salt concentrations, observed in the S100 core after the 1950s, to an enhanced exposure of the S100 site to primary sea-salt aerosol due to a shorter distance from the S100 site to the ice front, and to enhanced sea-salt aerosol production from blowing salty snow over sea ice, most likely related to the calving of Trolltunga occurred during the 1960s. This increase in seasalt concentrations is synchronous with a shift in non-seasalt sulfate (nssSO42- ) toward negative values, suggesting a possible contribution of fractionated aerosol to the sea-salt load in the S100 core most likely originating from salty snow found on sea ice. In contrast, there is no evidence of a significant contribution of fractionated sea salt to the ice-rises sites, where the signal would be most likely masked by the large inputs of biogenic sulfate estimated for these sites. In summary, these results suggest that the S100 core contains a sea-salt record dominated by the proximity of the site to the ocean, and processes of sea ice formation in the neighbouring waters. In contrast, the ice-rises firn cores register a larger-scale signal of atmospheric flow conditions and a less efficient transport of sea-salt aerosols to these sites. These findings are a contribution to the understanding of the mechanisms behind sea-salt aerosol production, transport and deposition at coastal Antarctic sites, and the improvement of the current Antarctic sea ice reconstructions based on seasalt chemical proxies obtained from ice cores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a waveform mixture algorithm to detect leads from CryoSat-2 data, which is novel and different from the existing threshold-based lead detection methods. The waveform mixture algorithm adopts the concept of spectral mixture analysis, which is widely used in the field of hyperspectral image analysis. This lead detection method was evaluated with high-resolution (250 m) MODIS images and showed comparable and promising performance in detecting leads when compared to the previous methods. The robustness of the proposed approach also lies in the fact that it does not require the rescaling of parameters (i.e., stack standard deviation, stack skewness, stack kurtosis, pulse peakiness, and backscatter σ0), as it directly uses L1B waveform data, unlike the existing threshold-based methods. Monthly lead fraction maps were produced by the waveform mixture algorithm, which shows interannual variability of recent sea ice cover during 2011-2016, excluding the summer season (i.e., June to September).We also compared the lead fraction maps to other lead fraction maps generated from previously published data sets, resulting in similar spatiotemporal patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International Arctic Systems for Observing the Atmosphere (IASOA) activities and partnerships were initiated as a part of the 2007-09 International Polar Year (IPY) and are expected to continue for many [...]

ABSTRACT Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (SAON) implies a system of different sensors that are generating data to be preserved, interpreted, and applied in a continuous manner over a long period [...]

ABSTRACT. Arctic observing networks exist in many countries and often cross international boundaries. We review their status and the development of networked long-term observations as part of a U.S. Arctic [...]

ABSTRACT. Although much progress has been made with various Arctic Observing efforts, assessing that progress can be difficult. What data collection efforts are established or underway? Where? By whom? To [...]

ABSTRACT. To understand and respond to changes in the world's northern regions, we need a coordinated system of long-term Arctic observations. River networks naturally integrate across landscapes and link the [...]

The field of Arctic studies is becoming increasingly rich in empirical material across a broad array of topics and relationships, encompassing multiple international actors, both littoral and extra-regional. This article reviews three recent books on the Arctic, focusing on the evaluation of the potential for conflict in the region. Climate change will have long-ranging repercussions in the Arctic, where complex situations and choices will loom large, creating scope for international tensions. The scholarship demonstrates that there is much 'old' in the 'new' narratives of the North but at the same time posits that the region has been significantly less confrontational in the post-Cold War era than many observers predicted. Yet the Arctic is not hermetically sealed from other regions: international developments as well as the foreign policy ambitions of individual states, sometimes as remote as China, have been affecting emerging governance arrangements. In combination, the 'spill-over effect' of international crises and efforts by individual states to engage in sovereignty-enhancing exercises risk reducing cooperation among the states which have until now managed to maintain stability in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the Arctic Council's Iqaluit Ministerial Meeting in April 2015, the eight Arctic States decided to extend the mandate of the Task Force on Enhancing Scientific Cooperation in the Arctic (SCTF) in order to work toward a legally binding agreement on scientific cooperation. Based on the Oslo Draft of February 2015, this paper finds that the Agreement may improve the legal environment for Arctic science beyond current international law, including the law of the sea. The Agreement would lower the hurdles heretofore identified in international Arctic scientific cooperation, for example, the difficulties in accessing research areas and research facilities; and, the delays in border crossing procedures for entry and exit of scientists and their equipment and materials. Such an agreement is a good idea and should be promoted. However, non-Arctic States and their scientists may have an issue because the improved legal environment that is sought may benefit only the eight Arctic States and their scientists. In effect, the Agreement may create a two-category system where non-Arctic States and their scientists do not benefit from such improved environment. This paper examines whether they have substantial interests recognized under international law or by the Arctic scientific community by which they can claim certain benefits of the Agreement. We argue that the degree of benefits to non-Arctic States and their scientists under the Agreement should be commensurate with the degree of substantial interests accorded them by international law and by the Arctic scientific community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Kingdom has a longstanding interest in the Arctic and has recently begun to develop a set of guiding principles for its engagement in the region. Although the UK has a great deal to offer in terms of scientific research and expertise, it is missing an opportunity to engage more fully with issues of importance to the Arctic region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]