The Future of the Poles
Both the North and South poles are undergoing unprecedented changes as a result of man-made climate change. What does this mean for the region's wildlife and natural resources as countries make claims for territory?
To Save the Southern Polar Environment--Dump the Antarctic Treaty
How letting nations establish territorial claims on Antarctica could save its threatened marine ecosystems.
Will the Opening of the Northwest Passage Transform Global Shipping Anytime Soon?
With the melting of Arctic Ocean ice, the fabled waterway between Europe and Asia has been open to shipping the past two summers--or has it?
Drawing Lines in the Sea: Nations Stake Claims on Arctic Ocean Riches
The year 2009 will see a rendezvous between science, politics and big business in the high Arctic. Though frenzied seabed mapping clarifies the geology, economic incentives cloud the discussion...
Life at the Poles: Eight Polar Animals That Face the Promise and Peril of Climate Change
When sea ice disappears some polar inhabitants advance, whereas others retreat
Dispatches from the Bottom of the Earth: An Antarctic Expedition in Search of Lost Mountains Encased in Ice
Marine geophysicist Robin Bell is leading an expedition to Antarctica to explore a mysterious mountain range beneath the ice sheet and will be updating Scientific American readers regularly...
Special Report: Climate Change
Examining the state of the science on climate change
SciAm and CNN keep an eye on a Planet in Peril
Here at Scientific American , the fate of Earth is an important part of our coverage, from our new publication, Earth 3.0, to a grand plan for solar energy, to daily reporting on climate change...
Thanksgiving Day (in Antarctica) blizzard
Editor's note: Marine geophysicist Robin Bell is leading an expedition to Antarctica to explore a mysterious mountain range beneath the ice sheet. Following is the fifth of her updates on the effort as part of ScientificAmerican.com 's in-depth report on the "Future of the Poles." McMURDO STATION, ANTARCTICA -- In the U.S...
Moving the Chess Pieces
Editor's Note: Marine geophysicist Robin Bell is leading an expedition to Antarctica to explore a mysterious mountain range beneath the ice sheet. Following is the fourth of her updates on the effort as part of Scientific American.com 's In-depth Report on "The Future of the Poles." McMURDO STATION, ANTARCTICA--Ever since we first conceived of this project, the logistics have been complex...
A shoveling scientific community
Editor's Note: Marine geophysicist Robin Bell is leading an expedition to Antarctica to explore a mysterious mountain range beneath the ice sheet. Following is the third of her updates on the effort as part of Scientific American.com's In-depth Report on "The Future of the Poles." McMURDO STATION, ANTARCTICA--The stereotype of a scientist is a solitary figure in a white lab coat manipulating chemicals alone late in the night. Supporting this lone crusader for science are legions of others who work to make the laboratory function...
A flight to a continent dressed in white
Editor's Note: Marine geophysicist Robin Bell is leading an expedition to Antarctica to explore a mysterious mountain range beneath the ice sheet. Following is the second of her updates on the effort as part of Scientific American.com 's In-Depth Report on "The Future of the Poles." CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND—The flight from the land of green to the land of white may be within our grasp today. Everything seems to be working. The van showed up at the allocated time. The check in process went quickly...
Getting to Antarctica--Or not
Editor's Note: Marine geophysicist Robin Bell is leading an expedition to Antarctica to explore a mysterious mountain range beneath the ice sheet. Following is the first of her updates on the effort as part of Scientific American.com 's In-depth Report on "The Future of the Poles." CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND (11/16/08)--Things have improved since the days of ship and dog sleds, but it still is not easy to get to the center of Antarctica...
Kayaking Antarctica with Jon Bowermaster
How a warming climate leads to freezing penguins, with journalist and author Jon Bowermaster, who has kayaked the world's seas, most recently in Antarctica. And Cynthia Graber takes us on a tour with a new M.I.T...
The North Pole Is Melting
The permanent Arctic ice cap dwindled to a record low this week, presaging a future of a summertime Northwest Passage and obscuring fog
Preserving Arctic Fisheries Before Harvesting Them
U.S. mulls creating Bering Sea fish preserve as salmon and other species migrate north
U.S. Protects Polar Bears Under Endangered Species Act
The Interior Department lists the polar bear as a "threatened" species--one at risk of becoming endangered--due to dangerous declines in their sea ice habitat
Ice Core Reveals How Quickly Climate Can Change
Weather patterns can permanently shift in as little as a year, according to the records preserved in an ice core from Greenland
Eyes in the Sky Track Earth's Changes [Slideshow]
Earth-monitoring satellites are being used to track everything from deforestation to the spread of plankton in the Arctic Ocean
Not-So-Permafrost: Big Thaw of Arctic Soil May Unleash Runaway Warming
New estimates show that frozen Arctic soil contains far more potential greenhouse gas than previously recognized--and could speed climate change as it melts
Arctic Thaw Springs Forward
Winter ends in the Arctic earlier than a decade ago
Warmer Antarctica Shows Climate Changing on Every Continent
It's official: The South Pole is also succumbing to human-induced climate change
A Deep Thaw: How Much Will Vanishing Glaciers Raise Sea Levels?
Some say high, some say low, some say fast, some say slow
Happy International Polar Year!
Scientists from around the globe embark on a two-year effort to explore and boost understanding of Earth's poles
The Unquiet Ice
Abundant liquid water newly discovered underneath the world's great ice sheets could intensify the destabilizing effects of global warming on the sheets. Then, even without melting, the sheets may slide into the sea and raise sea level catastrophically...
