Scientists Braved the High Arctic to Chase Clouds in History's Largest Polar Trip. The high Arctic is dangerous in the dark of winter. Temperatures drop to -40 degrees. Ice cracks underfoot. Polar bears roam. Yet scientists on the Alfred Wegener Institute's MOSAiC expedition (the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate) braved these hazards so they could study the Arctic atmosphere for a full year. High-Arctic icebreaker missions like this one aren't unprecedented. However, MOSAiC collected more and better data, and involved more researchers that were more farflung. It had one other critical difference: "All those old expeditions were studying an Arctic that doesn't exist anymore," says expedition co-coordinator Matthew Shupe, at atmospheric physicist with the University of Colorado and NOAA. Audubon

Is Lightning Striking the Arctic More than Ever Before? Lightning is striking the Arctic many times more often than it did a decade ago, a study suggests - and the rate could soon double. The findings demonstrate yet another way Earth's climate could be changing as the planet warms, although not all researchers agree that the trend is real. Robert Holzworth, an atmospheric physicist at the University of Washington in Seattle and leader of the study, defends the findings. "We're seeing a symptom of global climate change," he says. Holzworth is director of the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN), the collection of ground-based sensors that measured the data. Nature

 

Scientists Say 2020 Was Exceptionally Warm in Finland. The year 2020 has been unusually warm in Finland, according to meteorologists. This summer, June saw the highest number of days of temperatures reaching 25 degrees Celsius (the so-called heat threshold in Finland) since the country began keeping digital records. According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), some parts of Finland experienced a total of 21 days of 25-degree-or warmer weather and noted that June 1999 was the last time forecasters measured as many hot days. YLE

Western Arctic Caribou Population and Migration Patterns Continue to Change. Although a census for the herd was not done in 2020, ADF&G wildlife biologist Alex Hansen in Kotzebue referenced the results of last year's census and findings from this year's collar research. "So, as I'm sure most of you are aware, we had a big decline beginning around 2003 and the decline bottomed out about 2006, we detected the herd at 201,000 ... In 2017, we saw a bump in the population to 259,000. 2018, despite our best efforts, we were unable to make a census. 2019 is our most recent census, and that was 244,000 caribou." KNOM

 

Research and Related Activities in the Bering Strait Region Under COVID-19 Conditions. "As with the rest of the world, Alaskan Indigenous and rural communities continue to be impacted by the spread of COVID-19 and the associated wide-ranging social, spiritual, and economic effects. Over the past 6+ months, Kawerak has remained focused on the health, safety, and wellbeing of Bering Strait region residents. We understand that many researchers are currently planning for the 2021 'field season,' which may include engagements with communities in our region. No one can predict how the next few months and beyond will unfold with regard to the pandemic. Kawerak would like to reiterate our guidance and recommendations from May of this year and we ask all researchers, research organizations, and research funders to continue to be vigilant against the spread of this disease and to plan for the continuation of restrictions and the need for virtual work and engagements." Read the complete letter from Kawerak, Inc. here.