Arctic Sea Ice Reaches Seventh Lowest Extent on Record
Arctic sea ice has likely reached its minimum extent for the year, at 4.28 million square kilometers (1.65 million square miles) on September 11, 2024, according to scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado Boulder.The 2024 minimum is ranked seventh lowest in the 46-year satellite record. The last 18 years are the lowest 18 Arctic sea ice extents in the satellite record.The overall, downward trend in the minimum extent from 1979 to 2024 is 12.4 percent per decade relative to the 1981 to 2010 average. From the linear trend, the loss of sea ice is about 77
Canada Launches Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel
;s northernmost tip. Nappaaluk was a renowned leader, harvester, teacher, consultant, navigator, astronomer and meteorologist. As a knowledge keeper, he was committed to protecting and promoting Inuit language and culture and did so his entire life by teaching others how to survive and thrive in his Arctic homeland.The CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk is a key deliverable for the Canadian Coast Guard under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. The vessel is expected to be delivered to the Canadian Coast Guard in 2025
Scientists Discover Mysterious Patterns on Ice Shelf Bottom
mission was carried out as part of the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC), a five-year, $50 million joint U.S. and U.K. mission to learn more about Thwaites Glacier, its past, and what the future may hold.The AUV Ran was programmed to dive into the cavity of Dotson ice shelf, West Antarctica and scan the ice above it with an advanced sonar. For 27 days, the uncrewed submersible traveled a total of over 1,000 kilometers back and forth under the glacier, reaching 17 kilometers into the cavity above which the ice shelf floats.The expedition was carried out in regions of drifting ice in
Norway Offers $193 Million Funding to Arctic Floating Wind Farm Project
A floating offshore wind farm planned in Arctic waters on Friday received 2 billion Norwegian crowns ($193 million) in state funding, with Norway viewing the still costly technology as a key contributor for industry development and emission cuts.The GoliatVind project in the Barents Sea, consisting of five 15 megawatts turbines and seeking to supply power to the Arctic town of Hammerfest, beat out six other applicants in a tender by government agency Enova.Norway hopes that floating offshore wind will provide an industrial future for its offshore supply industry as well as a means of cutting emissions
US Invests $1 Million in Advancing Arctic Data Management
The Department of Commerce and NOAA announced a $1 million Notice of Funding Opportunity for competitive grants to help improve regional climate data and information products for the Arctic region. These grants are funded through the Inflation Reduction Act —the largest climate investment in history — as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.“As a nation, we face the challenges of climate change,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The Arctic region, which is warming faster than anywhere in our nation, demands immediate action. As part of
NPS Research on Coast Guard Icebreaker to Enhance Arctic Readiness
During a seven-week Arctic transit aboard the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker USCGC Healy (WAGB 20), researchers from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) will study the impact of the extreme environment on crew performance and potential mitigations, as well as advanced Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies in adverse sea conditions.The studies, which commenced with Healy’s departure from Kodiak, Alaska on Aug. 26, will be led by principal investigator Dr. Nita Shattuck, a professor in the NPS Operations Research (OR) department. Shattuck’s research leverages her years of studying crew
Rare East Antarctic Expedition for OSIL Multiple Corer
Ocean Scientific International Ltd (OSIL) reported that its Multiple Corer has recently been employed on the Antarctic Expedition NBP 23-03 which, unusually, had been focussed on biodiversity studies in the East Antarctic.The East Antarctic is a significantly under-studied region (no visits from US vessels in 22 years & very limited contact from other countries), so the results of these studies will be crucial to increasing our understanding of the area. The cruise, which ran from on board the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer, focussed on Antarctic Marine Nematodes with the aim of evaluating their biodivers
Aker Solutions Wins First SWIFT Contract at Johan Castberg Field With Equinor
Norwegian offshore services company Aker Solutions has won a contract with the oil and gas company Equinor to deliver the first Submersible Wireless Installer for Tubing (SWIFT™) for 18 tubing hanger installations on the Johan Castberg field, an assignment expected to continue for two years, starting June 2024.Aker Solutions said this was the first commercial campaign for the SWIFT remotely operated tubing hanger (TH) tool.SWIFT was developed in partnership with Envirex and will be manufactured at Envirex's facilities in Bryne, Norway. According to Aker Solutions, its market advantage
Russia's Newest Nuclear Submarine Heads to the Arctic
Russian navy’s newest nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine Generalissimo Suvorov is on its way to a temporary base for the Northern Fleet in the Arctic, the TASS news agency reported on Tuesday, citing an unidentified defence source.“Recently, the submarine cruiser Generalissimo Suvorov has started moving from Severodvinsk, where it was located at the Sevmash shipyard, to a temporary base for the Northern Fleet,” the state agency cited its source as saying.The strategic submarine was officially included into the Russian navy at the end of 2022 by President Vladimir Putin.
August 2024
