Reindeer grazing and climate change both affect Arctic plant communities, according to new research. The study suggests that reindeer grazing management strategies could significantly influence the future Arctic landscape.

A new study has explored the effects of climate change on Arctic plants by simulating extreme winter warming events and measuring plant responses. The researchers found that considerable damage occurred to dwarf shrub species, in terms of shoot mortality, leaf and root growth.

According to new research, several areas of the Antarctic are at considerable risk from the establishment of 'alien' plants accidentally carried by visitors to the region. The findings demonstrate that invasive species pose risks even in remote areas and that these risks are likely to increase as the climate changes.

A new aerial survey is the first to assess the possible impact of a research station in Antarctica on magnetic fields. Estimations indicated that the station generated a magnetic field that extends up to 650 metres from the station with a peak strength of 2800 nanotesla (nT) within 100 metres from the station on the ground. This may have implications for organisms in Antarctica that are negatively affected by magnetic fields but further research is needed to investigate this.

Virtually sea ice-free summers since 2005 have forced an important Arctic seabird species to change its foraging grounds and prey, new research shows. The body mass of the little auk — the most abundant seabird in the Atlantic Arctic — has shrunk by 4% in the past 20 years in one of its Russian breeding grounds, the study found. This change may be caused by its new foraging behaviour.

Better monitoring is needed to safeguard the Antarctic against threats posed by invasive alien species, according to a new study. The authors developed ‘the Antarctic Biological Invasions Indicator’ (ABII) to help generate data for tracking trends in alien invasions and the measures taken to prevent them.

A new modelling study has indicated that rivers could be the main pathway of mercury entering the Arctic Ocean. More research is needed to support this claim, but climate change could be increasing the release of mercury into rivers through thawing permafrost and increased wildfires.

Ninety-eight per cent of radioactive iodine in Arctic sea ice may come from Europe, new research suggests. The study concludes that atmospheric transport of Iodine-129 from European nuclear fuel reprocessing plants is the most likely source.

Petrochemical lubricants have toxic effects on Antarctic seafloor ecosystems even after five years of degradation, a new study suggests. Examining the impacts of a standard lubricant and one marketed as biodegradable, the researchers were able to show that algae, which form the basis of the food chain, remained affected even after five years. Furthermore, the biodegradable lubricant appeared to provide no environmental benefits, as it had greater impacts in the long term.

For the first time, scientists have identified an ‘ozone hole’ over the Arctic, in addition to the well-known ozone hole over the Antarctic. Unusually persistent low temperatures over the arctic in early 2011 caused an unprecedented amount of chemical destruction of stratospheric ozone there. The authors warn that this is likely to happen again, although it is presently difficult to predict when this might be.

Re-routing flights to avoid the Arctic Circle may help reduce global temperatures and increase sea ice, a recent study concludes. The accompanying reduction in damages from global warming could outweigh the costs of increased fuel usage and operational changes for airlines by 47-55 times.

Levels of air pollution significantly increase on the island of Svalbard in the Norwegian Arctic when tourist cruise ships are present, according to a recent study. With shipping levels rising in the region, the researchers recommend that stricter emissions regulations are introduced in order to limit the impact of pollution on the Arctic environment.

Gas flaring and residential combustion are significant sources of soot, or black carbon, pollution in the Arctic, but their role has been underestimated until now, according to a recent study. The research indicates that flaring from oil and gas developments is the largest source of this pollutant, responsible for 42% of black carbon pollution in the Arctic.

Groups of chemicals used as flame retardants were present in the bodies of Antarctic rock cod (Trematomus bernacchii), young gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua), and brown skua seabird (Stercorarius antarcticus) collected from King George Island, Antarctica. This study is the first to find some of these chemicals in Antarctica, confirming that they undergo long-range transport and can reach isolated areas where they are not widely produced or used.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) enter the environment in large quantities via the combustion of fossil fuels and organic matter. They are a cause for concern given their known toxicity, potential to cause cancer and ability to move large distances in the atmosphere — meaning that they are found in remote or protected areas, such as the Arctic, even if not emitted there. This study explores how PAH levels in the Arctic atmosphere have changed over the past 20 years at three sites in Canada, Norway and Finland. The results show that, despite a global decrease in PAH emissions in the same timeframe, the air concentrations in the Arctic are not significantly declining — possibly partly as a result of local warming causing more volatile PAHs to move from the surface to the air.

Bioremediation is a technique that harnesses the power of nature to treat contaminated soils and groundwater. This study explored a technology that is effective at capturing groundwater pollutants and shows promise in extreme environments — the Permeable Reactive Barrier (PRB).

Nature photographer Florian Schulz says the oil spill in the Gulf must serve as a warning as the U.S. seeks oil in the Arctic.

Greenpeace ship blocked en route to protesting new oil find off the coast of Greenland.

Pine Island Glacier holds back part of the massive West Antarctic Ice Sheet, whose thinning ice is contributing to sea level rise.

NASA's new map combined radar, sound waves and electromagnetic instruments to peer beneath Antarctica's ice.

This winter, the Arctic ice cap expanded to a total of 5.76 million square miles — one of the lowest areas on record since 1979.

If a small chunk of ice currently plugging the edge of an ice sheet in Antarctica were to melt, it could release massive amounts of ice into the ocean.

The catastrophic collapse of the massive West Antarctic Ice Sheet is underway.

As ice melts, Antarctica's ground is rebounding at a surprising rate. Scientists think it's because the Earth's mantle is flowing faster there.

Antarctica's melting glaciers launched so many icebergs into the ocean 14,600 years ago that sea level rose 6.5 feet in just 100 years.

Arctic sea ice — the ice that freezes and floats on Arctic waters — is thinning at a steadier and faster rate than researchers previously thought.

Geologists say they have found a range of volcanoes beneath the ice of Antarctica that rival those of east Africa and North America.

Antarctica ice loss was only contributing 0.2 millimeters per year to sea level rise, but that number has jumped to 0.6 millimeters since 2012.

Could an influx of Syrian asylum seekers upset Svalbard's human to polar bear ratio?

At a tiny outpost in the middle of Antarctica, Russian scientists are poised to become the first humans to reach a massive liquid lake that has been cut off fro

Though they're perceived as destructive, volcanoes may actually play an important part in promoting biodiversity, a new study suggests.

Researchers uncover the remnants of lost continents hidden under the ice sheets of Antarctica.

Arctic sea ice, the white cap that covers the watery northern edge of the planet, has melted back to a record low level.

Microbes possibly feeding on the remains of an ancient forest may be generating billions of tons of methane deep beneath Antarctic ice, a new study suggests.

The ozone hole above the Antarctic has hit its maximum extent for the year. Due to warm temperatures, the opening in the protective atmospheric layer was the se

The worldwide ban on ozone-depleting chemicals stopped Arctic ozone from disappearing and forming an "ozone hole" similar in size to Antarctica's.

As the Arctic grows warmer, its sea-ice cover is shrinking at an unprecedented pace. Here's a graphical look at how quickly it's disappearing.

Thanks to the combined technology of satellites and weather stations scattered around the Antarctic Peninsula, researchers can now keep tabs on the region's shi

Long-term thinning of Arctic sea ice combined with an intense, windy storm over the Arctic in early August contributed to a new record low for sea-ice extent, s

A weather balloon has broken the record for the longest balloon-borne experiment in Antarctica, and is still going strong.

In continued efforts to track changes in glacial and sea ice, NASA's IceBridge plane has begun collecting data in Greenland.

It may be time to retire the groundhog and start tracking Arctic sea ice for a better prediction of late-winter weather.

The vanishing veneer of frozen ocean isn't just vital for polar bears.

But for now only the penguins can enjoy them. (Turns out, mining is illegal in Antarctica.)

Alaska professor discusses why the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge should not be opened for oil drilling.

The chlorine originates in sea salt and may have a role in climate change.

Tiny tempests above cracks in Arctic sea ice help pull down toxic mercury and ozone from the sky — an unexpected new source of mercury pollution.

A company in the United Arab Emirates is already putting an iceberg-towing plan into action.

An article based upon a leaked report says that Arctic sea ice is up 60%. But is it true?

'White Mars,' as Antarctica is known, is ideal for studying the long-term effects of isolation.