A new island was just discovered in Antarctica. And it definitely isn't an iceberg. The 'dirty iceberg' spotted by RV Polarstern in the Weddell Sea turned out to be a rocky island 130 metres long & 50 metres wide. The naming process is underway.

Uncharted island soon to appear on nautical charts

A 93-strong international expedition team has been exploring the northwestern Weddell Sea in the Antarctic on board the Alfred Wegener Institute's icebreaker Polarstern since 8 February 2026. In this ...

awi.de

🧵 MURDER AT THE NORTH POLE The debate over who really first reached the North Pole became a bitter public dispute in the early 1900s. Crocker Land was perhaps the key: sighted by Robert E. Peary but undetected by his rival Frederick Cook, could its discovery prove who really traversed the Arctic?

"Walruses have been officially protected in Norway since the 1950s, after they were hunted to near extinction. That protection has boosted their numbers, and apparently provided a new source of fatty food for polar bears."

Polar bears getting "fatter and healthier" amid ice loss

Scientists think that Svalbard bears have adapted to recent ice loss by eating more land-based prey.

bbc.com

American interests in controlling Greenland are nothing new. A century ago the famous American Arctic explorer Robert E Peary fully supported the purchase of Greenland from Denmark, citing national security concerns. A 🧵

Our latest newsletter went out just before Christmas...here's what you need to know: Are you heading to NGWM 2026 in Turku next week? 🍺🍔 Join us for a social after the NGWM icebreaker (Jan 13th) at Panimoravintola Koulu pub from 20.00 in the "History classroom".

Home - Panimoravintola Koulu

Brewery Restaurant Koulu Welcome to the relaxed atmosphere of a brewery restaurant and our unique restaurant facilities! We are Finland’s largest brewery restaurant and have been making quality beers ...

panimoravintolakoulu.fi

Northern Norway will feel the consequences - Tromsø's ski season is projected to last only one month by the end of the century, down from 3.5 months currently.

The Barents Observer@thebarentsobserver.com · 9mo ago

The latest satellite photos of the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, for instance, illustrate the extent to which local glaciers have melted. "We need to dramatically reduce emissions", - a new research emphasises.

This is cool, 6 million year old ice from Antartica with inferred temperature ~12°C warmer than the late Pleistocene. No CO2 level yet! (That will be highly anticipated!) www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Half of the CO₂ released by human activities, such as through burning fossil fuels, enters the atmosphere... This impacts the climate all over the planet, including the Arctic.

Record levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Actions needed now, Greenpeace says

“Our leaders must start doing their job: cutting emissions, fast,” the head of Greenpeace Norway told the Barents Observer.

thebarentsobserver.com

🌨🎉 Snow has arrived back in #Tromsø! The last time any snow was recorded was 146 days ago on May 24th. 🌨 Following ~2 cm of fresh snowfall in the last ~24hrs, the snow in #Tromsø is currently 1.1 cm deep. It has snowed once on this date since 2015, with 1 cm falling in 2020.

While en route to the North Pole on a modern ice-going vessel, glaciologist Henry Patton reveals some of the crazy mapping mistakes and theories of what people used to believe lay hidden in this icy kingdom. 📽️ Editing by @media.elizaveta.no

Secrets of the North Pole unravelled

YouTube video by Map Myths

youtube.com

How Switzerland's glaciers have shrunk

Before and after images show glaciers vanishing before our eyes

They are melting like never seen before, changing landscapes around the world beyond recognition.

bbc.com

Hello BlueSky! 👋 We are thrilled to be here and connect with everyone on this new platform! Interested in Quaternary science in the Nordics? Then follow us for news/opportunities/jobs, and more. Our network is also free to join at nordqua.org

NORDQUA - The Nordic Union for Quaternary Research

Welcome to Nordqua - The Nordic Union for Quaternary Research - an organization of professional scientists from the Nordic countries.

nordqua.org

After 35 unforgettable days at sea, the i2B expedition has come to an end. The team retrieved nearly 250 meters of sediment cores from key sites across the #Arctic Ocean — records that will help unravel the story of past warm climates. 🔗 Read chief scientist Jochen Knies’ reflection: arcg.is/0favaf0

i2B Arctic Ocean Expedition 2025

Collecting new geological archives that will reveal past Arctic climate secrets

arcg.is

On polar geoengineering...⚒️🧊 "None of these geoengineering ideas pass scrutiny regarding their use in the coming decades. Instead, we find that the proposed concepts would be environmentally dangerous." The study: www.frontiersin.org/journals/sci...

Re-freezing the Arctic is costly and dangerous

Researchers warn against geoengineering in the polar regions.

thebarentsobserver.com

Did the midnight ☀️ bleach into the sub-surface of rocks in the Arctic? Following our OSL dating of cobbles from moraines in the Tibetan Plateau (doi.org/10.1016/j.qu...) we are applying this technique to moraines in the Lyngen Alps (Lyngsfjellan / Ittuvárit), Troms, Arctic Norway @rhewlif.xyz 🏔️❄️🌈🌞

🚢 4 weeks at sea, 6,400 samples, and a record-breaking 22 m core ❄️🌊 The i2B team is piecing together the Arctic’s climate history, sample by sample — day and night. 🔗 Read co-chief scientist Stijn De Schepper’s update: arcg.is/0favaf0 📸 Tim Kalvelage @bjerknes.uib.no

🚨 A small break from cruise updates to say that: We’re hiring! i2B is looking for a Postdoc in Arctic Marine Geology and Marine Geophysics. Find out more about the position here: www.jobbnorge.no/en/available... Please share with your networks 😊

When was that moraine created?? Luminescence ages from the sub-surface of cobbles, collected from moraines in the Konglongluo Valley, Tibetan Plateau, agree with external age control! Do get in touch if interested in this new moraine-dating technique!! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

🚢🔎 From hidden channels to towering seamounts, the i2B expedition is uncovering the Arctic seafloor in remarkable new detail. Read more about our findings in our latest blog written by @rhewlif.xyz : 🔗 arcg.is/0favaf0

We dropped in on Santa Claus at the north pole this week to get our wish lists in early! To celebrate reaching 90N - the first time unaided for the Kronprins Haakon - we had ourselves a BBQ followed by a football match on the ice.

Straight from the North Pole! See the great pics by @rhewlif.xyz, who is now sailing on board the icebreaker vessel Kronprins Haakon. The story of how researchers grappled with 'unsettling' feelings three decades after their first visit to the northernmost point on Earth. Plus 📷 of a polar bear.

“I didn’t hear the usual grinding of ice”

When a Norwegian vessel reached the North Pole this week, the scientific team made an alarming discovery.

thebarentsobserver.com

'Polhavet 2050' was announced this week by the Norwegian government. 1 billion NOK (€85m) and 18 institutions to focus on Arctic Ocean research over 10 years.

The Barents Observer@thebarentsobserver.com · 11mo ago

"The Arctic Ocean will be ice-free in the summer by 2050,” the Norwegian government highlights. "The Arctic is warming at roughly four times the rate of the rest of the globe," marine scientist Philipp Assmy of the Norwegian Polar Institute told the Barents Observer.

❄️ One week at sea, and life aboard R/V Kronprins Haakon has settled into a rhythm of 24/7 science. Six long sediment cores, countless samples — and our first real test in the Arctic sea ice. 🚢 🔗 arcg.is/0favaf0 @paleodyn.bsky.social

i2B Arctic Ocean Expedition 2025

Collecting new geological archives that will reveal past Arctic climate secrets

arcg.is

🦇 Ping… ping… ping… just like a bat in the night, our ship uses sound to “see” beneath the Arctic seafloor. These echoes guide us to the best coring sites and help us avoid hidden obstacles — each profile a map to sediments laid down during ancient ice ages. ❄️🌊 🔗 arcg.is/0favaf0 @rhewlif.xyz

An exciting expedition awaits! Our home for the next 5 weeks as we head into the frozen Arctic Ocean to collect new palaeo archives.

"Maybe they should enjoy nature instead of being confused" In this short Midnight Sun report by @media.elizaveta.no I contributed drone footage of some amazing North Norwegian landscapes. First time seeing a brown bear up close too 🐻

Midnight sun in the Arctic - love it or hate it?

YouTube video by The Barents Observer

youtu.be

Interesting reading...'Scientists discover long-lost giant rivers that flowed across Antarctica up to 80 million years ago' doi.org/10.1038/s415...

Scientists discover long-lost giant rivers that flowed across Antarctica up to 80 million years ago

Large flat surfaces carved by ancient rivers deep beneath the East Antarctica are influencing how ice flows across the continent today, according to a new study.

livescience.com

Is the #AMOC nearing collapse? In February, I joined researchers from @bjerknes.uib.no on the icebreaker Kronprins Haakon to the Greenland Sea. My text and images about their encounters during #Arctic winter and the future of the AMOC: www.nature.com/articles/d41... @frontiersmedia.bsky.social

🌍 i2B at the final PalaeoArc Conference ❄️ Last week in Tromsø, i2B team members joined the 6th & final #PalaeoArc — sharing Arctic science through talks and posters, and helping organise too! Great science + great people = fantastic conference! 👏 More info: site.uit.no/palaeoarc2025/

Mercator produced the first map solely dedicated to the Arctic regions, posthumously published in 1595. While a product of its time, the Septentrionalium Terrarum Descriptio is laden with features now known to be entirely mythical or significantly misrepresented. A 🧵