Top Results for Arctic

Arctic waters are home to the walrus, a large pinniped in the family Odobenidae. Thick skin, conspicuous tusks and a broad muzzle covered in sensitive whiskers give it a distinctive appearance. Both sexes have tusks, which help with social displays and hauling onto ice. Walruses search the seabed fo...

Pale gray and repeatedly branching, Cladonia rangiferina forms dense tufts on soil, humus and other acidic substrates. Commonly called reindeer lichen, it has a fruticose growth form, meaning its body develops as branching structures rather than a flat crust or leafy sheet. It is widespread in arcti...

The Lena is one of the three great Siberian rivers that drain into the Arctic Ocean and is the easternmost of the three. It rises near the western shore of Lake Baikal, flows northward for about 4,400 kilometers through Russia, and reaches the Laptev Sea through a large delta in the Sakha Republic....

The narwhal's spiral tusk is an elongated tooth, usually the left canine, that projects from the upper jaw of most males and can reach about three meters. This medium-sized toothed whale lives in Arctic waters, particularly around Greenland and the Canadian Arctic, with a smaller presence in Russian...

The Arctic Desert is a polar desert ecoregion covering high-latitude areas of the Northern Hemisphere, including parts of northern Canada, Greenland, Russia, and Arctic islands. It receives less than 250 millimeters of annual precipitation, mostly as snow. The landscape is characterized by ice caps,...

Adapted to Arctic and subarctic waters, the bowhead whale has a huge arched head that can help it break through sea ice. Its thick blubber provides insulation, while long baleen plates strain small zooplankton from the water. Instead of relying on the lunging feeds associated with many other baleen...

The Lena Delta is an extensive wetland region in Siberia, Russia, where the Lena River empties into the Laptev Sea. Covering approximately 32,000 square kilometers, it is the largest river delta in the Arctic. The area is characterized by thousands of islands, channels, and polygonal tundra. Most of...

The Mackenzie is Canada’s longest river system. The Mackenzie River itself flows from Great Slave Lake through the Northwest Territories to the Beaufort Sea, while the full system, measured from distant headwaters, is commonly given as about 4,241 kilometers. Its basin covers a large part of northwe...

Along Greenland's western coast, Ilulissat Icefjord carries ice from Sermeq Kujalleq into the sea. The Arctic fjord contains dense accumulations of floating ice, from broken fragments to large icebergs. UNESCO recognizes the site for its glacial processes and scientific importance. Its World Heritag...

Knud Rasmussen (1879-1933) was a Greenland-born Danish explorer, ethnologist and writer of mixed Danish and Inuit heritage. He founded the Thule trading and research station in Greenland and led the Fifth Thule Expedition from 1921 to 1924, which traveled across Arctic North America from Hudson Bay...

Adult belugas are readily recognized by their white skin, rounded forehead and absence of a dorsal fin. These Arctic and subarctic toothed whales have unfused neck vertebrae, allowing more head movement than many other cetaceans. Their pale color helps them blend with ice, although calves are darker...

Mount Thor is a granite cliff located on Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic. It holds the record for Earth’s steepest documented cliff face, plunging nearly 1,250 meters vertically. The sheer scale of its drop makes it a significant geological feature and a subject of study for geologists and glac...

Frederica de Laguna (1906-2004) was an American anthropologist and archaeologist known for combining archaeology, ethnography and history in research on Alaska and the North Pacific. Her fieldwork included the Cook Inlet, Prince William Sound and Northern Tlingit regions, including Yakutat. She wrot...

Long, trailing tentacles give the lion's mane jellyfish its name and much of its striking appearance. Cyanea capillata is a cold-water scyphozoan associated mainly with northern Atlantic and Pacific waters and the Arctic. A broad bell carries numerous clusters of tentacles, creating a suspended mass...

Great Bear Lake is the largest lake located entirely within Canada and the fourth-largest in North America. It is situated on the Arctic Circle in the Northwest Territories. The lake is notable for its pristine water quality and low biological productivity, resulting in a unique and fragile ecosyste...

The Canada Goose Snow Mantra parka utilizes a down and synthetic insulation combination to provide warmth in extreme cold conditions, featuring a waterproof membrane and durable nylon shell for protection against snow and wind.

On Greenland's eastern coast, Scoresby Sund forms a vast Arctic network of fjords, islands and branching waterways. Generally described as the world's largest fjord system, it reaches far inland toward the Greenland Ice Sheet. Glacial erosion carved its deep valleys, while glaciers and the movement...

The Pacific Walrus is a distinct subspecies of walrus inhabiting the North Pacific’s Arctic waters. It's recognized by its substantial size and unique reliance on sea ice for resting and foraging. These animals are primarily used for accessing shellfish beds beneath the ice. The species is vital to...

The Fjällräven Expedition Down Jacket utilizes G-loft Gold insulation and durable Fairtex™ flannel to provide warmth and weather protection in demanding outdoor conditions, featuring a robust design for long-lasting performance.

Fridtjof Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, and humanitarian whose work ranged from zoology and oceanography to international refugee relief. In 1888 his party completed the first recorded crossing of Greenland's interior, traveling on skis, and his Fram expedition later reached a...

Across the circumpolar Arctic, king eiders breed near tundra waters and spend much of their lives as sea ducks in coastal environments. Adult males have contrasting pale and dark plumage, with a conspicuous orange-yellow plate above the bill. This feature is a fleshy bill ornament rather than a feat...

Camp Century was a United States Army installation constructed within the Greenland ice sheet in 1959 and operated during the Cold War. Presented publicly as a research station, it used tunnels cut into compacted snow and was powered by a portable nuclear reactor. The site also tested construction m...

Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, commonly called the green sea urchin, is an extant species of sea urchin belonging to the Strongylocentrotidae family. It inhabits Arctic and subarctic waters. This urchin is notable for its resilience in cold environments and its edible nature. Researchers utilize...

The Arctic World Archive is a long-term information repository located in a former coal mine near Longyearbyen on Svalbard, Norway. Deposited digital material is encoded onto photosensitive film designed for offline preservation, reducing dependence on continuously powered servers and changing softw...

The Mackenzie Delta is a vast alluvial plain in Canada's Northwest Territories where the Mackenzie River meets the Arctic's Beaufort Sea. Covering roughly 12,000 square kilometers, it is one of the largest Arctic river deltas in the world. The environment is characterized by thousands of small lakes...

Bombus hyperboreus is a species of Arctic bumblebee recognized for having the northernmost geographical distribution of any bumblebee in the world. It inhabits extreme cold environments across Greenland, northern Russia, and the high Arctic tundra. The species is a parasitoid or cuckoo bumblebee, me...

Developed for scientists working in Antarctica, the Canada Goose Expedition Parka emphasizes protection in severe cold. Down insulation and a substantial outer shell provide warmth and resistance to wind and light moisture. Its roomy construction accommodates layers, while numerous pockets make it p...

Mount Asgard stands as a significant granite cliff face within Auyuittuq National Park on Baffin Island. Its dramatic twin peaks and near-vertical rock walls present one of Canada’s most challenging big wall climbs. Experienced alpinists seeking extreme technical climbing in the Arctic environment u...

The long-tailed duck occurs around the Arctic and subarctic regions of North America and Eurasia. Adult males have elongated central tail feathers that give the species its common name, although their overall appearance changes markedly with the season. This changing plumage adds to the interest of...