Greenland

A massive ice island breaks free of the Petermann Glacier in northwestern Greenland in July 2012.

Satellites Show Warming Tides Melting a Massive Greenland Glacier

The finding could mean that past predictions of sea-level rise from glaciers should double

Dig Tsho, a glacial lake in Nepal that burst in August 1985

Fifteen Million People at Risk of Severe Floods From Melting Glaciers

Rising temperatures could worsen glacial lake outbursts, unleashing massive inland waves on downstream communities, a study finds

2 million years ago, Greenland was roughly 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than it is today. 

New 'Astounding' Analysis Argues That Greenland Used to Be a Lush, Diverse Ecosystem

Scientists found evidence of over 100 types of plants and animals that lived in the northern part of the island around two million years ago

An illustration of the under-ice river

A Massive Freshwater River Is Flowing Under Antarctica’s Ice

The 285-mile-long stretch of meltwater is longer than the Thames and could speed ice loss

Ice collapsing off the Russell Glacier in Greenland. Researchers agree that ice-sheet melt in Greenland will lead to at least several inches of global sea-level rise by the end of the century. 

Melting Greenland Ice Sheet Will Cause at Least Ten Inches of Sea-Level Rise, Study Finds

Experts break down the new finding, which provides a higher estimate of meltwater than previous research

Ruins of a Norse church in Greenland.

New Research

Why Did the Vikings Abandon Their Most Successful Settlement in Greenland?

A new study argues that an extended drought, and not cold temperatures, drove the Norse settlers from the region

Researchers predict the Last Ice Area will survive the longest in a warming world—but how long the ice will last is unclear. Some estimates suggest the ice will be gone entirely by 2100.

The 'Last Ice Area' May Provide a Final Refuge for Arctic Life in a Warming World

The Arctic Ocean region may provide a sanctuary to animals who need the summertime frozen habitat for survival

A recreation of Viking structures at L’Anse aux Meadows

New Dating Method Shows Vikings Occupied Newfoundland in 1021 C.E.

Tree ring evidence of an ancient solar storm enables scientists to pinpoint the exact year of Norse settlement

The yet-to-be-named island was likely formed when ice bulldozed seabed mud up above the water's surface during a storm.

Scientists Discover What May Be the World's Northernmost Island

Researchers thought they had set foot on a known island, but island hunters pointed out that reported coordinates revealed a special find

As historian Nancy Marie Brown points out, “[A]sking not ‘Are the sagas true?’ but ‘Are they plausible?’” is a far better barometer for testing the Viking tales’ veracity.

Did a Viking Woman Named Gudrid Really Travel to North America in 1000 A.D.?

The sagas suggest she settled in Newfoundland and eventually made eight crossings of the North Atlantic Sea

A stream of meltwater cuts through the Greenland ice sheet.

New Research

Earth Loses 1.2 Trillion Tons of Ice Per Year, a Nearly 60% Increase From 1994

A pair of studies paint a worrying picture of accelerating ice loss around the world, with serious consequences for projections of sea level rise

Researchers identified the black substance as a mixture of burnt rubber, oil and feces.

Black Smudge on Diary Page Reveals 1907 Arctic Expedition's Tragic End

New analysis suggests explorer Jørgen Brønlund spent his final hours trying—and failing—to light a petroleum burner

Release the Kraken!

The Legend, the History and the Science Behind Seattle's New Hockey Team Name

NHL fans, meet the Seattle Kraken—named for a mythical beast that may have been inspired by the very real giant squid

A new study presents evidence that a massive eruption in Alaska may have influenced the rise of the Roman Empire.

New Research

How an Alaskan Volcano Is Linked to the Decline of the Roman Republic

New research suggests Mount Okmok's eruption in 43 B.C. sparked extreme weather halfway across the world

Church ruins from Norse Greenland's Eastern Settlement

New Research

Did Over-Hunting Walruses Fuel the Collapse of Norse Greenland?

A new study has found that Norse hunters began pursuing smaller animals at increasingly risky distances in "a classic pattern of resource depletion"

Founded in 1854, the town of Ivittuut (formerly Ivigtut) once held the world’s largest reserve of naturally occurring cryolite.

How This Abandoned Mining Town in Greenland Helped Win World War II

Ivittuut held the world’s largest reserve of naturally occurring cryolite, a mineral that was used in the manufacturing of fighter planes

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