Ecoregions in Antarctica

Antarctica represents a very unique and special case on our planet. With the richness of the Southern Ocean, the coasts and the Southern islands…

Fisheries in the Southern Ocean

Fisheries, together with tourism, represents a major economic activity around Antarctica. In the old days whales were hunted for oil - these days fish…

Greenland, showing rates of surface-Elevation change between the late 1990s and 2003

Mass-balance estimates for Greenland show thickening at high elevations since the early 1990s at rates that increased to about 4 cm per year after…

Major global bird migration routes to the Arctic

Bird species that migrate to the Arctic coasts and wetlands arrive from nearly every corner of the planet. During the summer, the sun never…

Population distribution in the circumpolar Arctic, by country (including indigenous population)

The Arctic represents one of the most desolate and sparsely populated areas in the World, with few economic opportunities and in hostile climate. This…

Extreme days and nights – daylight variation in the Arctic: Reykjavik, Murmansk and Alert

The Arctic and Antarctic have long nights in the winter and long days in the summer. Above the Arctic Circle (66 °N), there is…

Arctic sea ice minimum extent in September 1982 and 2007

The red line indicates the median minimum extent of the ice cover for the period 1979–2000. This figure compares the Arctic sea ice extent…

Demography of indigenous peoples of the Arctic based on linguistic groups (major groups)

Areas show colours according to the original languages of the respective indigenous peoples, even if they do not speak their languages today. Notes: Overlapping…

Northern Sea Route and the Northwest Passage compared with currently used shipping routes

Climate models project that summer sea ice in the Arctic Basin will retreat further and further away from most Arctic landmasses, opening new shipping…

Increases in annual temperatures for a recent five-year period

Warming is widespread, generally greater over land than over oceans, and the largest gains in temperatures for the planet are over the North American…

Major research stations in Antarctica

Antarctica is interesting for many types of researchers. For example, glaciologists study the ice and snow, while oceanographers look at the oceans. The ice,…

Arctic, topography and bathymetry (topographic map)

The Arctic is extremely diverse in terms of landscapes, varying from pack and drift ice to rugged shores, flat coastal plains, rolling hills and…