Fairbanks (Global Adventures): One of the most advanced Arctic research vessels, the R/V Sikuliaq (see-KOO-lee-auk), is currently under construction and will begin operations in January 2014. Owned by the National Science Foundation, the oceanographic research ship will accommodate up to 26 scientists and students. The vessel "will provide a much needed, technologically-advanced oceanographic platform to [...]

Aulavik National Park (Global Adventures): The wreck of the HMS Investigator was discovered by a team of Canadian archeologists on July 25, 2010. The former merchant vessel was purchased by the British Admiralty in 1848 to search for Sir John Franklin’s lost expedition. After being fortified and fitted for Arctic explorations, the 122-ton HMS Investigator [...]

Arctic (Global Adventures): Canada and the U.S. plan to survey parts of the ocean floor in the Arctic to determine the extent of their continental shelf and resolve a long standing border dispute. During the five week joint survey, both countries hope to gather evidence that supports their claims for extended zones (Global Adventures reported [...]

Washington, DC (Global Adventures): NASA will launch its first dedicated oceanographic field campaign on June 15 to take an up-close look at how changing conditions in the Arctic are affecting the ocean's chemistry and ecosystems that play a critical role in global climate change. The "Impacts of Climate on Ecosystems and Chemistry of the Arctic [...]

Franz Joseph Land (Global Adventures): Russia wants to do more to study and protect the estimated population of 6,000 polar bears that live in the Russian part of the Arctic. "Habitation is getting more and more difficult because of the melting ice caps. It is important for us to know the movements of the polar [...]

Arctic (Global Adventures): British scientists experienced another unexpected sign of potential global warming: rain in the high Arctic off Ellef Ringnes Island, Canada. "I had to look twice. Snow flurries we expect, not rain," said Catlin Arctic Survey team member Paul Ramsden. "I felt distinctly nervous for a while because the consequences of getting wet [...]

Darmstadt (Global Adventures): A new satellite launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) will measure changes in the ice sheets that cover Antarctica, Greenland, and the Arctic. From an average altitude of 446 miles (717 kilometers), CryoSat-2 will measure changes in ice-thickness. Using radar pulses, scientists hope that the instruments will be able to pinpoint [...]