Arctic.2018 • Ultimate

Here is a look back at the defining moments of the Arctic in 2018. If you remember one statistic from 2018, make it this: The Arctic experienced its second-warmest year on record (second only to 2016).

December 15, 2018

The State of the Arctic in 2018: Cracks, Heat, and a Warning from the Top of the World arctic.2018

During the winter, temperatures at the North Pole spiked above freezing multiple times—an anomaly that used to be rare but is becoming terrifyingly common. In February, the Cape Morris Jesup station in northern Greenland recorded 61°F (6°C) above the seasonal average. For context, that is like having a spring thaw in the middle of the polar night. 2018 was the year scientists started to worry about a region we thought was invincible: the Last Ice Area north of Greenland. This thick, ancient ice (over 5 years old) was supposed to be the refuge for polar species when the rest of the summer ice melted. Here is a look back at the defining