Science

U.S. Navy and Army labs upgraded TRICON base‑camp kits to operate safely at ‑65 °F, enabling forces to keep personnel functional in the Arctic’s harsh winter.

Greenland Mines completed the 2026 field program at its Skaergaard project, delivering large‑diameter core and bulk material for metallurgical testing, and evaluating vanadium, iron, and gallium alongside palladium, platinum, and gold flows.

Researchers used eDNA metabarcoding in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, to reconstruct the region’s trophic web, supported by a VECNA 2023 field survey.

Nadja Omanovic, a postdoctoral researcher, is studying Arctic stratocumulus clouds to help climate models better capture the region’s rapid warming as part of a Humboldt fellowship.

Icelandic mining firm Amaroq finished drilling at its Nanoq gold project in South Greenland, finding that ore can be processed at its Nalunaq mine and has begun building a beach landing and access track.

Typhoon Halong’s remnants struck western Alaska on Oct 12 2025, producing up to two metres of flooding in Kipnuk and displacing over 1,600 residents, underscoring how rising sea levels, retreating sea ice, and thawing permafrost are amplifying storm surge threats in the Yukon‑Kuskokwim Delta.

The study used microfocus X‑ray computed tomography to measure shell density in the ostracode species Paracyprideis pseudopunctillata from Beaufort Sea sediments, finding density remained constant from 1969 to 2018 and earlier, indicating no persistent acidification damage while noting some post‑mortem diagenesis.

The Naturescape Gallery at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History is showcasing Greg Fiske’s ‘Cartographies of Arctic Change,’ featuring maps of Arctic communities on permafrost ground and the Lena River delta, offering insights into climate impacts for both the public and scientists.

The Government of Greenland rejected Greenland Minerals' 2026 application to renew the Kvanefjeld exploration licence, underscoring regulatory and infrastructure constraints that could limit the region’s rare‑earth supply to Western markets.

HX Expeditions closed its 2026 Arctic season with 26,491 citizen science contributions from 31 sailings and introduced a world‑first AI whale‑detection trial aboard MS Fram. The operator also extended its Greenland Promise through 2028, offering guests more flexibility for future Greenland trips.

The 2026 Arctic Circle Assembly will convene about 2,500 participants from more than 70 countries to discuss Arctic tipping points, climate interventions, and governance, with Ocean Visions hosting a key session on slowing sea ice loss.

A deep‑learning model called SIC‑ResU‑Net is presented to enhance super‑resolution estimation of Arctic sea ice concentration, addressing limitations of low‑resolution data.

Study finds Arctic winter boundary layer occupies two preferred radiative states, a cold, clear state and a heat‑trapping, cloudy state.

Matt Rutherford launches a solo, nonstop circumnavigation of the Arctic Ocean, departing Greenland on June 25 and aiming to finish the 3,500‑mile route by November. The voyage, aboard a heavily refitted Valiant 42, will confront Russian GPS jamming, a narrow ice‑melt window, and support research and fundraising for the Ocean Research Project.

Research shows that melting ice has uncovered more than 15 new islands in Russia’s Arctic and revealed 2,500 km of coastline, with a 2025 study noting 35 newly formed islands—signaling rapid warming and a changing Arctic landscape.

A landslide has triggered a 1,580‑foot tsunami in Alaska, underscoring the rising risk of landslide‑tsunami events in steep Arctic fjords that are becoming more vulnerable as glaciers retreat. Improved monitoring and faster response are suggested measures to reduce such risks.

In 2025, 76 Arctic fulmars were found beached along the North Sea, and researchers found that 92% had ingested plastic, averaging 23 pieces per bird. A project run by Susanne Kühn at Wageningen Marine Research forecasts that only 10% of birds will exceed the OSPAR threshold by 2061, up from an earlier target of 2077.

Manoj P. Rayaroth, an assistant professor from GITAM, collected water samples in Ny‑Ålesund, Svalbard, as part of the Indian Arctic Expedition 2026‑27 to study how organic pollutants transform and reach the Arctic sea.

A newly opened ice tower at the University of Alaska Fairbanks lets researchers create controlled Arctic icing conditions for drones, supporting training, safety testing, and the development of drone delivery in extreme weather.

Archaeologists in Chukotka, Russia, documented 31 new petroglyph surfaces along the Pegtymel River, expanding the site’s catalog to 690 and completing a comprehensive digital record that will aid future conservation of this exposed Arctic landscape.

Two adult female beluga whales were found dead in Cook Inlet near Anchorage in early September 2026. A citizen towed one to the Ship Creek launch for a NOAA necropsy, while the other, originally beached near Birchwood, was refloated by tide and later floating again. Researchers are investigating possible causes of death.