Large glacial fronts of ice sheets once also covered large parts of the Arctic Ocean and exerted pressure on the seafloor in the shelf region. Nowadays, the ice barriers are all in retreat, also on Svalbard (pictured: Austfonna). Picture: Michael Wenger The melting of...
Permafrost is the permanently frozen ground in the Arctic and high alpine regions. Only the uppermost areas thaw annually and then form marshy areas. However, these thawing processes also release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. In recent decades, these thawing...
The Souther Ocean, and especially the Weddell Sea, are still among the least explored areas of the world’s oceans. The climatic and geographical conditions make the place a major challenge. The long-term data of the AWI are therefore incredibly valuable....
Polar bears are not the only ones facing big changes. The decrease of sea ice in summer and the time of formation of new sea ice significantly determine air temperatures above the Arctic Ocean in autumn and winter. The higher the air temperatures, the more...
Avens (Dryas octopetala) stretch their large white flowers with the load of nectar towards the sky – the pollinating insects gladly accept the invitation. Photo: Julia Hager As in other regions, plants in the Arctic depend on insects as pollinators. However,...
