The Big Melt

Take our Arctic quiz

September 17, 2018

How much do you know about the Arctic? Take our quiz to test your knowledge.

In Iceland, a shifting sculpture for a changing Arctic

October 15, 2018

A sculpture in Iceland marks the location of the Arctic Circle — at least the circle's location this year, because it turns out that the Arctic Circle doesn't stay in one place. It's a suggestion of how difficult it is to pin down anything in the Arctic.

The Big Melt

An Alaskan village is falling into the sea. Washington is looking the other way.

The World

October 22, 2018

Shishmaref, Alaska, home to a tightly knit Iñpuiat community of 600 people, is ground zero for climate change in the Arctic. What happens here could foreshadow the fates of other US coastal communities. Why won't Washington pay attention?

The Big Melt

Arctic permafrost is starting to thaw. Here’s why we should all care.

The World

October 29, 2018

Just how quickly will billions of tons of carbon locked up in the Arctic's melting permafrost be released into the atmosphere? Scientists in the Arctic say finding out could be a matter of survival.

The Big Melt

The Arctic's Sámi people push for a sustainable Norway

The World

November 05, 2018

After centuries on the margins, the Indigenous Sámi of the Arctic regions of Scandinavia are starting to reassert their cultural identity. And they say the world can't solve the climate crisis without perspectives like theirs.

The Big Melt

Ice is us: Alaska Natives face the demise of the Arctic ice pack

The World

November 12, 2018

Sea ice plays a big role in keeping the earth cool, but it's disappearing fast. No one knows this better, or is more directly affected, than the Arctic's native communities, whose economy and culture are deeply interwoven with ice.

The Big Melt

As the Arctic warms up, a 'new ocean' is bringing new commerce to the top of the world

The World

November 20, 2018

As the Arctic warms, it’s opening up a whole new economic frontier, with big opportunities for tourism, shipping and resource development, including oil and gas. But that also brings a whole new array of risks for the region and the world.

The Big Melt

An environmental newspaper fights for press freedom in the Russian Arctic

The World

November 26, 2018

The Barents Observer keeps a close watch on the Russian Arctic because it’s part of the neighborhood, and because there’s a lot at stake there, for Russians and the rest of us.

The Big Melt

As Greenland’s ice sheet melts, scientists push to learn ‘how fast’

The World

December 03, 2018

The Greenland ice sheet has long helped cool the world and keep sea levels stable. But now it's melting, and scientists are trying to learn as much as they can, as fast as they can.

The Big Melt

PHOTOS: Up close and personal with Greenland’s massive ice sheet

The World

December 04, 2018

Researchers on Greenland’s ice sheet are trying to find out more about our planet and the future implications with rising seas. It’s also spectacularly beautiful and surreal.