Arctic news, features and articles
![A polar bear on a sheet of ice in the Arctic](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zPmuvQBciVkuZfxxeGf9Vb-1200-80.jpg)
Beyond the Arctic Circle lies a winter wonderland of snow, sea ice, glaciers and polar bears. With Live Science, you can unlock the mysteries of Earth's northernmost region, like the new top predator along the Arctic coast, the discovery of a huge hole in the Arctic, and photos of polar bears playing house. There's captivating and informative content for you in our latest Arctic news, features and articles from Live Science's expert team of writers and editors.
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![A polar bear on a sheet of ice in the Arctic](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zPmuvQBciVkuZfxxeGf9Vb-320-80.jpg)
'Ominous milestone for the planet': Arctic Ocean's 1st ice-free day could be just 3 years away, alarming study finds
By Ben Turner published
The Arctic's ice cover could dip below a crucial threshold as soon as 2027, and will do so inevitably in the next 20 years if greenhouse gas emissions continue, scientists warn.
![A top-down drone photo of Mesyatsev Island](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wYFtRLE2KoWg3KPB7bcLDm-320-80.jpg)
Surprised Russian school kids discover Arctic island has vanished after comparing satellite images
By Harry Baker published
A student-led project comparing satellite images of the Arctic has discovered that a small Russian island has recently vanished after "completely melting" away.
![An aerial photo of a vibrant pond of blue water surrounded by snow](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Dsovk67RyNj47ER8QYozJC-320-80.jpg)
Massive blue 'melt pond' in Arctic glacier is an eerie sign of things to come
By Harry Baker published
Earth from space A 2014 photo shows a massive, iceberg-littered pool of vibrant blue meltwater sitting alone on top of a glacier in Alaska. Similar "melt ponds" are becoming increasingly common in the Arctic due to climate change and are further accelerating the rate of ice loss across the region.
![A satellite photo of 4 elongated glaciers next to one another](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AHbEADrBrnGDDt65yXFFca-320-80.jpg)
4 near-identical glaciers spark new life in Arctic island's 'polar desert'
By Harry Baker published
Earth from space This 2012 satellite photo shows a quartet of near-identical glaciers on Canada's Ellesmere Island. The ice masses help to spark life in the otherwise barren Arctic environment.
![A satellite photo of an arrowhead shaped piece of sea ice that looks like the Starfleet badge from Star Trek](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/acBi925L3Q2cZLnpB3mXCS-320-80.jpg)
Iconic 'Star Trek' symbol shines brightly in sea of muddy Arctic sea ice
By Harry Baker published
Earth from space A 2012 satellite photo captured a patch of snow-covered sea ice with an uncannily similar shape to badges pinned on the uniforms of Starfleet officers in the "Star Trek" franchise.
![A ghostly blob-like figure in the ice when viewed from space](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CQTMGH7g2QEuvw2V544rGL-320-80.jpg)
Ghostly figure emerges in Greenland ice after underground lake collapses
By Harry Baker published
Earth from space In 2011, a ghostly depression, known as "the mitten," appeared on the surface of and ice sheet in Greenland after the unprecedented collapse of a concealed subglacial lake.
![Satellite image of the tadpole-shaped Batagay crater in the northern Sakha Republic, Russia.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3PWzwdeH3G2PJsKpFtRSC3-320-80.jpg)
Gateway to the underworld: The enormous permafrost 'megaslump' in Siberia that keeps getting bigger
By Sascha Pare published
The growing "gateway to the underworld," officially known as the Batagay megaslump, is the largest megaslump in the world and exposes permafrost layers that are 650,000 years old.
![Three ice caps with white tops and blue rings around their edges, each on an island seperated by a narrow stretch of sea](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2gXm82Nf64J54VfjFUXt5U-320-80.jpg)
Trio of ringed ice caps look otherworldly on Russian Arctic islands
By Harry Baker published
Earth from space This 2018 satellite photo of ice caps on the Arctic islands of Russia's Severnaya Zemlya archipelago highlights the beautiful concentric rings of color in the ice, which stand out against the islands' barren landscape.
![Aerial view of the Batagay crater in Siberia.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zNbkoHHJmJSFrPLXiuxaFj-320-80.jpg)
Siberia's 'gateway to the underworld' is growing a staggering amount each year
By Sascha Pare published
The Batagay megaslump — a 3,250-foot-wide (990 meters) depression in the permafrost in the Russian Far East — is "actively growing" by a massive amount every year, scientists have found.
![A satellite photo of a fjord with water covered in tiny icebergs and an wave of water arcing across the surface](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aSNa4Ymd25S5KK2D9f4tzG-320-80.jpg)
Mysterious wave ripples across 'galaxy' of icebergs in Arctic fjord
By Harry Baker published
Earth from space A puzzling arc was spotted in the water of a Greenland fjord littered with iceberg fragments. There are a couple of possible explanations for this bizarre phenomenon but we will likely never know what caused it, experts say.
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