Climate change has since left an unmistakable mark. Winter air on the western peninsula has warmed more than 10 degrees Fahrenheit since the 1950s. Winds drive changes in ocean circulation that bring warmer deep water toward the surface, helping to reduce sea icethe broken crust that forms when the oceans briny surface freezes. Sea ice now appears later and disappears faster: The ice-free season on the western peninsula lasts a full 90 days longer than in 1979. For a Northern Hemisphere equivalent, imagine summer suddenly stretching to Christmas.
With photographs by Paul Nicklen, Cristina Mittermeier, and Keith Ladzinski. As always, an incredible look at a continent we continue to learn more about — and a continent whose biosphere is rapidly changing.